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Vega-C, Europe's return to space with an eye on sustainability

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Published on the 7th of August 2025

Written by Varvara Kut'yina


On July 25, 2025, at 23:03 Kourou time, the Vega-C mission VV27 launched successfully into space with its satellites, MicroCarb and CO3D (short for Constellation Optique 3D). The launch of this light single-body rocket marked a significant milestone for European spaceflight. The Vega-C rocket deployed its payloads into two precise orbits and even performed a controlled disposal of its upper stage to avoid orbital debris, successfully completing the VV27 mission. This successful flight is widely seen as the technical return of Vega-C after past setbacks, reinforcing Europe’s independent access to space. European Space Agency (ESA) officials hailed the mission as evidence that Europe is firmly “back in the space launch business”, having overcome a launch hiatus and regaining the capacity to launch critical missions from its own soil. This achievement not only restores confidence in the Vega rocket family but also underpins Europe’s autonomy in orbit at a time when sovereign launch capability is crucial for both scientific and security needs.


ESA-CNES-ARIANESPACE/Optique vidéo du CSG–P. Piron
ESA-CNES-ARIANESPACE/Optique vidéo du CSG–P. Piron

Reaffirmation of European access to space


The VV27 mission carried a complex dual payload, yet Vega-C executed it with precision. The 35-meter-tall rocket powered through its first three solid stages and ignited its Attitude Vernier Upper Module (AVUM+) liquid upper stage multiple times to place five satellites into two different Sun-synchronous orbits. Four Earth Observation microsatellites of the CO3D constellation were released first at about 495 km altitude, followed by the single MicroCarb climate-monitoring satellite at 650 km. Finally, after 1 hour and 51 minutes, the upper stage conducted a deliberate de-orbit burn, safely reentering the atmosphere in line with ESA’s new “Zero Debris” guidelines. This technical

success was especially meaningful because Vega-C had previously been grounded for two years following a 2022 launch failure. The return to flight of Vega-C, alongside progress on the upcoming Ariane 6 with the first MetOp Second Generation, MetOp-SG-A1, and the Copernicus Sentinel-5 instrument, flight VA264, helps end Europe’s launch drought. It ensures that critical European missions no longer face delays or reliance on foreign launch providers. In other words, Europe’s ability to launch its own satellites, without creating new debris, has been decisively reaffirmed by VV27’s outcome.


Payloads Supporting Global Goals


The payloads on Vega-C VV27 are here to advance several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through enhanced environmental data. The CO3D constellation consists of four compact satellites built by Airbus Defence and Space in partnership with the French space agency CNES. Together, they will deliver high-resolution 3D maps of Earth’s surface, providing 50 cm detail stereo imagery and 2D photos to support both military and civil applications. From precise cartography for security needs to civilian uses like hydrology, geology, urban planning, and land/resource management, CO3D’s data will help decision-makers manage natural resources and cities more sustainably. These capabilities align with global goals on sustainable cities, infrastructure, and responsible land use by equipping communities with better information for planning and disaster preparedness.


The MicroCarb satellite, developed by CNES with instruments from Airbus and contributions by the UK Space Agency, is Europe’s first dedicated mission to map atmospheric carbon dioxide. MicroCarb’s spectrometer will quantify CO2 sources and sinks worldwide, focusing especially on emissions from urban areas and natural absorbers like forests and oceans. This mission addresses SDG 13 (Climate Action) by filling critical gaps in climate data: over half of the essential climate variables are measured from space, and MicroCarb will sharpen that vision. By resolving city-level CO2 at 2 km resolution, it will pinpoint where emissions are highest and how effective mitigation efforts are. The UK Space Agency notes that MicroCarb’s precise measurements will help verify climate targets and guide net-zero strategies, providing governments with data needed to track progress toward the Paris Agreement. In essence, MicroCarb will enable scientists and policymakers to monitor international progress on cutting greenhouse gases, informing more accountable climate policies in line with global agreements. Both CO3D and MicroCarb exemplify how space technology can directly support the SDGs, from climate action and environmental stewardship to sustainable cities and resilience, by delivering actionable insights about our planet’s changing conditions.


A commitment to space sustainability through the Zero Debris Charter


The Vega-C VV27 mission was not only a technological triumph but also a showcase of Europe’s commitment to cleaner and more responsible space operations. ESA and its partners have been ramping up measures to ensure missions “do no harm” to the orbital environment. A prime example is the Zero Debris Charter, a collaborative pledge introduced in 2023 that aims for “debris neutrality in space by 2030”. Avio, the Vega rocket’s manufacturer, is a founding signatory and has embraced these principles in practice. In fact, all components of the Vega-C launcher, from its discarded solid boosters to the AVUM+ upper stage, are designed to be systematically de-orbited after completing their job. This mission’s final manoeuvre, where the AVUM+ stage fired one last time, to plunge itself into Earth’s atmosphere, demonstrated that commitment to leaving “the orbit clean after satellite deployment”. Such end-of-mission disposal was executed in direct compliance with the Zero Debris Charter and sets a positive example of debris mitigation done right.


Initiatives like the Zero Debris Charter offer more than technical guidance. They set a collective vision for how space should be used and preserved. By establishing an ambitious target for debris neutrality by 2030 and encouraging cooperation across agencies, industry, and civil society, the Charter fosters a culture of shared responsibility. It reflects a growing recognition, one we strongly uphold at Cosmos for Humanity, that future space activities must balance innovation with long-term stewardship of the orbital environment.


First step, but even more to take


Europe’s progress on sustainable spaceflight is encouraging, yet a few critical questions remain as the 2030 horizon approaches. With celebration comes an opportunity for reflection on areas that need renewed focus. Vega-C’s controlled reentry of its final stage sets a commendable benchmark for debris prevention, but it also raises a question: is this the norm or the exception?

While Avio has committed to de-orbiting all Vega-C components, many launches globally still leave upper stages or mission-related debris in orbit to decay over time. Making post-mission disposal a universal standard, rather than an exemplary choice, remains a critical step. Achieving this will require broader industry adoption through both voluntary charters and, potentially, regulatory measures. For now, progress is uneven, and making such practices routine across all launch providers is still a work in progress.


The ambition behind the Zero Debris Charter, to achieve a debris-neutral space environment by 2030, is praiseworthy, but time is short. With only five years remaining, the pace of implementation is under scrutiny. While more than 100 organizations and numerous European states have endorsed the Charter, translating those paper commitments into measurable change in orbit remains a slow and complex task. Legacy hardware continues to populate key orbits, and removing it or replacing outdated practices with safer alternatives will not happen overnight. Some observers caution that without accelerated action, such as active debris removal missions, improved disposal strategies, and stricter design requirements, the 2030 target could prove ambitious rather than achievable. The next few years will determine whether voluntary momentum can scale quickly and widely enough to meet the goal.


This brings into focus a broader challenge: the voluntary nature of current sustainability

initiatives. Both the Zero Debris Charter and Cosmos for Humanity’s Space Sustainability Label (C4H Label) rely on shared commitment, transparency, and reputational incentives rather than legal enforcement. The C4H Label, developed to encourage best practices across mission design, operations, and end-of-life management, represents an important step toward embedding sustainability into the space sector’s identity. While still in the early phases of adoption, it offers a clear and accessible benchmark that organizations can align with to demonstrate their dedication to ethical and responsible space activity. Similarly, the Zero Debris Charter reflects growing consensus around the need to protect the orbital environment. Yet without binding mechanisms, both initiatives rely heavily on voluntary participation, raising questions about how widely and quickly such standards will be embraced. The challenge ahead is not a failure of these tools, but rather how to scale and normalize their use so that sustainability becomes the default. In this context, the C4H Label plays a crucial role in building that culture, offering a framework that is both rigorous and inclusive, and capable of guiding the sector toward long-term stewardship.


The VV27 mission supports the Space Sustainability Rating (SSR), a direct counterpart to the C4H label. Both voluntary frameworks aimed at encouraging responsible conduct in orbit, though based on different philosophies. The C4H Label was developed within civil society and prioritizes transparency, traceability, and public engagement. Evaluations are based on publicly accessible mission data, verified in part through a citizen-science approach (Cosmos Rangers), and secured via public blockchain documentation. This open model strengthens trust and fosters broader accountability. By contrast, the SSR emerged from an academic-industry collaboration originally led by MIT, the University of Texas at Austin, and BryceTech, with the European Space Agency offering support after the rating system had already been developed. Now managed by EPFL’s Space Center in Switzerland, the SSR uses a confidential data model where satellite operators submit proprietary technical details in exchange for a sustainability score. While the methodology is public, the underlying mission data remains private. This structure offers value for commercial actors, but it has also raised concerns over transparency and data governance, particularly in the absence of public visibility into how ratings are derived or how data is handled.


In this light, both the C4H Label and the SSR aim to improve sustainability outcomes, but they represent fundamentally different models of influence. The SSR, developed within academic and industrial circles, remains largely confined to institutional use, with limited public transparency and restricted access to underlying data. In contrast, the C4H Label offers a more inclusive and forward-looking approach. One that actively engages civil society, embraces transparency, and builds public trust through verifiable, open processes. By inviting citizen participation and anchoring its assessments in publicly available information secured via blockchain, the C4H Label promotes a vision of sustainability that is not only technical but also democratic. As space becomes increasingly commercial and contested, frameworks like the C4H Label are especially well-positioned to set the ethical and operational standard.


The VV27 mission offers a valuable case study in how space actors are beginning to engage with these evolving frameworks, but the broader goal remains: to make sustainability not just a responsibility, but a shared and trusted norm for all.


Conclusion


Vega-C’s VV27 mission exemplified the possibility of marrying technical success with sustainable practices. It delivered cutting-edge Earth-observation and climate science payloads that will help achieve global sustainability goals, and it did so while upholding emerging norms to keep space clean. This accomplishment is rightly celebrated as a triumphant return for European launch capabilities and a win for “Team Europe” in space. At the same time, the mission’s legacy will be defined not just by what it put into orbit, but by what it left behind. Or rather, did not leave behind, as orbital debris. The path to a debris-free space environment by 2030 is illuminated by such examples, yet it will require continued commitment and possibly swifter action from the global community. Vega-C VV27 shows that the technologies and policies for sustainable spaceflight are taking hold. The next step is to ensure these positive measures are scaled up and universally adopted. With accountable follow-through on charters and ratings, and perhaps a dose of regulatory backbone, the hope is that by the end of this decade, every launch can be as responsible as this one. The cosmos can be for humanity’s benefit without compromising its long-term health, and the journey toward that balance is well underway, even if the final orbit is still to be reached.


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