Vega Preview 1  16:00-16:30 GMT  27-JAN-2012  WF Date Shot: 27-JAN-2012 Location: KOUROU Country: FRENCH GUYANA Sound:    Language:  Aspect ratio: 4:3 Source: FRESA Restrictions: Free worldwide access to all broadcasters This material is free of rights and free of charge in Europe and America. Dopesheet: VEGA getting ready for its first flight - Europe Space Agency's new launcher will allow to send any satellite on any orbit from its Spaceport in Kourou. This week at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana for the first time the new launcher VEGA will appear in the open air after its preparation tower, a mobile gauntry, will be retrieved. This is part of the operations leading to the maiden flight of this new launcher "made in Europe". The inaugural VEGA flight is scheduled to take place from 9 February 2012. Europe's new launcher will lift off from a newly built launch site at Kourou exactly on the location where the first Ariane flights took place at the Guiana Space Centre. Adapted for small payloads, VEGA will provide Europe with a safe, reliable and competitive capacity to carry science and Earth observation satellites into orbit, while perfectly complementing the heavy Ariane 5 and medium Soyuz rockets already launched and operated by Arianespace from Europe's Spaceport. Unlike most small launchers, Vega is able to place multiple payloads into orbit. In particular, it offers configurations able to handle payloads ranging from a single satellite up to one main satellite plus six microsatellites. It is compatible with payload masses ranging from 300 kg to 2500 kg, depending on the type and altitude of the orbit required by the customers. This qualification flight will demonstrate the correct behaviour of all elements and functions of the Launch System in real conditions. In particular it aims to demonstrate the Launch Vehicle performances and Payload Services in real flight conditions, once the qualification process on the ground has been completed. On its maiden flight VEGA will carry nine satellites into orbit: LARES, the Italian space agency's laser satellite to verify one of Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity and several educational satellites from various universities around Europe including the first satellites for Hungary, Poland and Romania. http:⁄⁄www.esa.int⁄SPECIALS⁄Vega⁄index.html Shotlist: This B-Roll shows the gauntry retrieval with a completed VEGA launcher on its launch pad and interviews with VEGA Project management: - Stefano Bianchi, VEGA Programme Manager, European Space Agency (English⁄ Italian⁄French) - Renato Lafranconi, VEGA Qualification Campaign Manager, European Space Agency (English⁄Italian⁄French) - Michel Debraine, VEGA Mission Director, European Space Agency (French⁄English) - Claude Berna, Vega Programme Manager in Guiana, Arianespace (French⁄English) Keyframe:  Id Item: 592222 Tx_Time: 16:00 - 16:30   Tx_Date: 27-JAN-2012  Status: TRS Origin: FRARIA  Origin City: KOUR Item type: WF