Question - ESA Rocket Launch today - Russian Rockot - 25Apr2018

[ToneDeafJunior]

Does anyone know why the ESA used the Russians to launch their small satellite today on the Rockot rocket rather than using the ESA Vega?

 

[Peartree]

It may have something to do with the northern latitude of the launch site?

 

[ToneDeafJunior]

I thought about that too John. The satellite was set in a polar orbit, just like we do out of Vandenberg AFB. With a polar orbit launch latitude shouldn't be an issue right? Longitude?
I understand RocketLab is going to lease space at Kennedy just so they can put satellites in an equatorial orbit since they can't do that from New Zealand, but I can't figure out why the launch today needed to be in Russia rather than French Guiana. Thanks for your reply my friend. Still searching...

 

[Reinhard]

This was the final Rockot launch for ESA.

The European Space Agency had been one of Eurockot’s principal customers, but now relies on Vega, the light-lift rocket produced mainly in Italy and operated by the European launch consortium Arianespace. Sentinel-3B was procured in 2010, two years ahead of Vega’s maiden flight.

ESA has no further missions with Rockot, spokeswoman Brigitte Kolmsee told SpaceNews. “Future launches will be accommodated by Vega,” she said by email.

Source: https://spacenews.com/eurockot-conducts-final-rockot-mission-with-sentinel-3b-satellite/


I guess this was the last of a series of Rockot launches that were procured well before Vega became operational. The overlap was probably intentional, in case of issues with Vega. Now that Vega works fine, Rockot isn't needed anymore (or desired, considering the political climate).

Reinhard