The European Space Agency is able to launch its model new Vega-C rocket. Here’s what you have to know concerning the mission and how one can watch this newest medium-lift rocket blast off for the very first time.

The absolutely stacked Vega-C launcher, with its 4 levels, stands about 114 ft tall (35 meters) atop the launchpad at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. The medium-lift rocket is scheduled to takeoff as quickly as Wednesday June 13 at 7:13 a.m. ET, pending appropriate circumstances for launch, according to ESA. The house company will start broadcasting the launch occasion at 6:45 a.m. ET on ESA web TV.

For its first journey to Earth orbit, Vega-C will carry the Italian Space Agency’s LARES-2 as its main payload. The satellite tv for pc is designed to measure an impact on spacetime generally known as body dragging, which is when the rotation of a large object impacts the movement of objects round it. The rocket may also be carrying six cubesats, one to check methods of detecting biomolecules in house, one to check the rising of crops in microgravity, and one other to review Earth’s magnetosphere. The different three cubesats will likely be used to review the results of house radiation on digital techniques.

Vega-C is a single physique launcher that has no booster. Instead, it’s outfitted with three strong propulsion levels and a further liquid propulsion higher module. It is designed to succeed the small Vega launcher, which has been in operation for ten years. When Vega first launched in February 2012, it kickstarted a brand new period for ESA, delivering small and medium payloads to orbit. As its successor, Vega-C was fitted with a extra highly effective first and second stage, together with an improved re-ignitable higher stage. Built by Arianespace, the rocket will likely be capable of delivering 3.3 metric tons to low Earth orbit and a couple of.2 metric tons to polar orbit.

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“Vega-C features major enhancements from Vega, both in the rocket and its ground infrastructure,” Renato Lafranconi, Vega applications supervisor, stated in a statement. “We’ve developed a new configuration with significant changes to many features of a proven concept, but the goal is to deliver major improvements in performance and competitiveness.”

The finish results of that is that Vega-C encompasses a bigger capability for liquid propellant, permitting it to ship payloads to a number of orbits and keep in house for longer durations of time. The rocket may also ship bigger satellites or carry two major payloads. It’ll even be able to delivering rideshare missions, during which a lot of small satellites are despatched to house at a comparatively low price.

And all of it begins on Wednesday—or a minimum of we hope. Best of luck to ESA because it seems to be to spice up its launch capabilities.

More: We Can’t Wait for These Futuristic Rockets to Finally Blast Off.