On November 21 at 03:42 Kiev time European light-weight rocket Vega, with some components produced by Yuzhnoye SDO and PA Yuzhmash, was successfully launched from the European Spaceport in French Guiana.

In particular, Yuzhnoye SDO developed and PA Yuzhmash manufactured the RD-843 main engine unit to power the rocket’s Stage 4. It provides the accurate orbiting of the satellite.

Deployed in the sun-synchronous orbit was Mohammed Vl-В satellite with the mass of 1108 kg, ordered by the Kingdom of Morocco and built by Thales Alenia Space with participation of Airbus. Satellite will be used for mapping and land surveying activities, regional development, agriculture monitoring, prevention and management of national disasters, monitoring changes in the environment and desertification, as well as border and coastal surveillance and will have resolution of approximately 50-70 pixel/cm.

It was the 13th launch under the Vega program and second in 2018. Since 2012 Vega rocket has orbited 28 satellites. Next launch is scheduled for the February 2019.

Pavel Degtyarenko, Chairman of the State Space Agency of Ukraine, congratulated teams of Yuzhnoye SDO and PA Yuzhmash with two successful launches within 5 days – Antares rocket on Nov. 17 and Vega rocket on Nov. 21. Specifically he mentioned that «unique rocket engine RD-843 with such high performance and mass and inertia characteristics has become one more chapter in the history of achievements of Yuzhnoye SDO and PA Yuzhmash, showing to the international community high qualification of the Ukrainian specialists and unique quality of the technology».

Pavel Degtyarenko thanked the teams of Yuuzhnoye SDO and PA Yuzhmash for the creative thinking and nonconventional approach in solving the challenges that Ukraine faces and wished success in the development of new space technologies.

«I wish you new accomplishments in the development of the up-to-date space & rocket technologies, which is highly appreciated in the international market and support authority of its developers as well as significantly upholds the prestige of Ukraine as highly-developed industrial state.”