Vega failure inquiry confirms cause – wrongly installed cabling – and sets stricter control of prime contractor Avio

by Peter B. de Selding

PARIS — Vega rocket prime contractor Avio SpA has agreed to accept closer oversight and operations verifications by the European Space Agency (ESA) and launch-service provider Arianespace as a result of an investigation into the Nov. 17 Vega failure.

The investigation of the Independent Enquiry Commission, whose results were released Dec. 18, confirmed what earlier telemetry data had suggested: a faulty installation of cabling in Vega’s Avum upper stage thrust vector control (TVC), which caused the Avum stage to veer off course:

To view the entire article, become a subscriber!

You may also like