Live Feed of ESA's Intermediate Experimental Vehicle Launch (opens in new tab)

(esa.int)

25 pointsfbnt11y ago5 comments

5 comments

I can't warp my head around how quick Vega is to rise (ESA's new light launcher). Here's a video from its qualification flight:

So far, everything is going well on the mission but I'm very anxious about the reentry of the IXV.

The smoke plume is characteristic of SRBs, which have a very good thrust-to-mass ration but relatively low specific impulses.

If you've ever seen a Shuttle launch, the long and smoky plume and the rocket "leaping off the pad" will look very familiar.

It does get going, doesn't it? Vega is a solid-fuel rocket (except for the fourth stage), and those have really high thrust early on.

If it behaves more like a missile than a satellite launcher that's no coincidence: most missiles are also solid-fuel.

andor11y ago

Most missiles are not designed to carry people ;-)

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