KYIV. July 25 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Pivdenmash (Dnipro) is expanding its participation in the programs of the European Space Agency (ESA), will continue the delivery of serial engines for the fourth stage of the European light carrier rocket Vega.
The company reported on its website “the documents on the continuation of the Vega project in the medium term” have been recently signed.
A source in the Ukrainian rocket and space industry told Interfax-Ukraine the Ukrainian and European sides extended till 2020 the contract for the delivery of engines for the fourth stage of the Vega RD-868P carrier rocket developed by Pivdenne Design Bureau and produced by Pivdenmash.
“The contract with Avio SpA has been prolonged until 2020,” the source said, adding that “the details of the contract were not revealed.”
The Vega carrier rocket was developed by the ESA together with the Italian Space Agency (ASI). It is designed for launching to a solar-synchronous orbit with a height of 1,200 km of satellites weighing up to 1,200 kg or to a polar orbit with a height of 700 km of satellites weighing 1,500 kg.
