science

Vega flight VV16

Vega flight VV16 is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Vega flight VV16 rather than just read about it. In short: Vega flight VV16, also called SSMS PoC Flight (for Small Spacecraft Mission Service Proof of Concept Flight), was the 16th launch of the Vega rocket. This first low Earth orbit rideshare commercial flight for 21 customers embarked a total of 65 satellites—53 satellites to be released by the launch vehicle directly plus an additional 12 that were later released by one of them—arranged in the modular SSMS dispenser.

Key takeaways

Vega flight VV16 belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Vega flight VV16 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Vega flight VV16 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Vega flight VV16, also called SSMS PoC Flight (for Small Spacecraft Mission Service Proof of Concept Flight), was the 16th launch of the Vega rocket. This first low Earth orbit rideshare commercial flight for 21 customers embarked a total of 65 satellites—53 satellites to be released by the launch vehicle directly plus an additional 12 that were later released by one of them—arranged in the modular SSMS dispenser. The launch was also notable as it was the first Vega launch following the accident of the VV15 launch in July 2019 that caused the loss of FalconEye1 satellite.

Launch campaign Launch campaign activities were significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. To prevent the spread of the epidemic in French Guiana and protect Guiana Space Centre employees, all launch activities were suspended on 16 March 2020. Operations for VV16 and Ariane flight VA253 could not resume until 28 April 2020. VV16 activities were listed among the top priorities at the reopening of the Guiana Space Center on 11 May 2020. It was initially scheduled to take place on 19 June 2020 at 01:51:10 UTC but got postponed due to unfavourable high-altitude winds. The launch was then postponed to take place on 27 June 2020, and later to 29 June 2020 due to the weather conditions, and had to be postponed again until 17 August 2020. Then postponed due to Ariane 5 flight VA253 launch on 15 August 2020 at 22:04 UTC. Arianespace announced on 1 September 2020 that the mission was postponed. Typhoon Maysak is forecast to move near the South Korean island of Jeju, the site of a telemetry station needed to track the Vega rocket after it lifts off from French Guiana. The tracking station will be secured ahead of the typhoon's arrival. "A new launch date will be set based on the evolution of the tropical storm's situation over the Jeju station and its consequences", Arianespace said in a statement. The launch date was further adjusted to 2 September 2020, then on 3 September 2020 at 01:51:10 UTC.

Flight The flight was launched from the ELV launch pad in Kourou, Centre Spatial Guyanais. It deployed all satellites into 2 slightly different Sun-synchronous orbits: the 7 heaviest satellites were separated at an altitude of roughly 515 km (starting 40 minutes and 25 seconds until 52 minutes and 35 seconds after liftoff), before the upper stage was re-ignited to place the 46 lightest satellites at an altitude of approximately 530 km (starting 1 hour 42 minutes and 16 seconds until 1 hour 44 minutes and 56 seconds after liftoff).

Payload Of the 53 satellites that were released, 7 microsatellites weigh between 15.4 kg and 150 kg (one of them contained 12 CubeSats), while the other 46 are smaller CubeSats (between 0.25U and 6U) weighing between 0.250 kg and 7 kg:

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Vega flight VV16

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Vega flight VV16 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Vega flight VV16 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Vega flight VV16 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Vega flight VV16

In research: Vega flight VV16 appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Vega flight VV16 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Vega flight VV16 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2020 in French Guiana, Rocket launches in 2020, Vega launches, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Vega flight VV16 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Vega flight VV16 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Vega flight VV16 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Vega flight VV16 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Vega flight VV16 in simple terms?

Why does Vega flight VV16 matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Vega flight VV16?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Vega flight VV16.