ESA's Vega Launcher Has Successful Maiden Flight

Zothecula writes "The European Space Agency's new Vettore Europeo di Generazione Avanzata — or Vega — launch vehicle lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at 10 a.m. GMT on February 13 on its maiden flight. Designed for launching small payloads, Vega is intended to complement Europe's existing family of launchers that includes the Ariane 5 heavy-lifter and Soyuz medium-class launchers. The qualification flight, designated VV01, saw the first Vega successfully carry nine satellites into orbit."

Re:Never quite understood this

[2Y9D57]

ESA replaced Ariane 4 with Ariane 5 -- the last A4 launch was 15 February 2003 -- for cost reasons. two satellites on an A5 for less that twice the cost of an A4 launch. Soyuz didn't start launching from French Guiana until 2011.