# Vega flight VV06

> Space launch

**Wikidata**: [Q59930723](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q59930723)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/vega-flight-vv06

## Summary  
Vega flight VV06 was a European orbital launch carried out on 2 December 2015 by Arianespace using a Vega launch vehicle from the Ensemble de Lancement Vega site. The mission placed the 1 986 kg LISA Pathfinder spacecraft into a transfer orbit toward a Lagrangian point.

## Key Facts  
- **Launch date:** 2 December 2015.  
- **Launch vehicle:** Vega (European expendable orbital launch vehicle).  
- **Operator:** Arianespace.  
- **Launch site:** Ensemble de Lancement Vega, French Guiana.  
- **Payload mass:** 1 986 kg.  
- **Primary payload:** LISA Pathfinder (science‑technology demonstrator).  
- **Orbit target:** Transfer orbit toward a Lagrangian point.  
- **Series position:** Sixth flight of the Vega program, following VV05 and preceding VV07.  
- **Classification:** Instance of both “Vega” and “Vega flight” (sequence number 6).  

## FAQs  
### Q: What was the main payload of Vega flight VV06?  
A: The launch carried the LISA Pathfinder spacecraft, a 1 986 kg technology demonstrator for future space‑based gravitational‑wave observatories.  

### Q: When and where did Vega flight VV06 take place?  
A: It launched on 2 December 2015 from the Ensemble de Lancement Vega launch complex in French Guiana.  

### Q: Which organization was responsible for operating Vega flight VV06?  
A: The launch was operated by Arianespace, the commercial launch service provider for European space missions.  

### Q: How does VV06 fit into the Vega launch‑vehicle program?  
A: VV06 is the sixth flight of the Vega series, succeeding flight VV05 and preceding flight VV07.  

### Q: What type of orbit was the payload placed into?  
A: LISA Pathfinder was inserted into a transfer orbit destined for a Lagrangian point, a stable gravitational location useful for scientific missions.  

## Why It Matters  
Vega flight VV06 demonstrated the reliability of Europe’s small‑to‑medium‑class launch capability by successfully delivering a high‑value scientific payload—LISA Pathfinder—into a precise transfer orbit. LISA Pathfinder was a critical technology‑validation step for the future Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission, which aims to detect low‑frequency gravitational waves from space. By proving that a modest‑size launch vehicle could handle a nearly 2‑tonne payload destined for a deep‑space orbit, VV06 reinforced Europe’s strategic autonomy in space exploration and contributed to the broader international effort to open a new window on the universe. The mission also underscored Arianespace’s role in providing dependable commercial launch services for both scientific and commercial customers.  

## Notable For  
- First Vega launch to carry the LISA Pathfinder mission.  
- Successful insertion of a 1 986 kg payload into a transfer orbit toward a Lagrangian point.  
- Marked the sixth flight in the Vega series, confirming the vehicle’s operational cadence.  
- Demonstrated Arianespace’s capability to support high‑precision deep‑space missions with a small‑to‑medium launch vehicle.  

## Body  

### Overview  
Vega flight VV06 was part of the European Space Agency’s Vega launch‑vehicle program, designed for payloads up to 2 000 kg to low‑Earth orbit or higher‑energy trajectories. The mission’s primary objective was to launch the LISA Pathfinder spacecraft, a path‑finder for the future LISA gravitational‑wave observatory.

### Mission Profile  
- **Launch sequence:** Standard Vega four‑stage ascent, with solid‑propellant first three stages followed by a liquid‑propellant fourth stage for precise orbit insertion.  
- **Payload deployment:** LISA Pathfinder was released into a highly elliptical transfer orbit, later maneuvered to a Lagrange point (L1) for its science phase.  

### Payload – LISA Pathfinder  
- **Mass:** 1 986 kg (including spacecraft bus, instruments, and propellant).  
- **Purpose:** Validate key technologies—drag‑free control, interferometry, and micro‑propulsion—required for a full‑scale space‑based gravitational‑wave detector.  

### Launch Details  
- **Date & Time:** 2 December 2015 (UTC).  
- **Location:** Ensemble de Lancement Vega, Kourou, French Guiana.  
- **Operator:** Arianespace, responsible for vehicle integration, launch operations, and range safety.  

### Position in the Vega Flight Sequence  
- **Preceded by:** Vega flight VV05 (previous mission in the series).  
- **Followed by:** Vega flight VV07 (subsequent mission).  
- **Series identifier:** “VV06” indicates the sixth flight of the Vega vehicle.  

### Significance for European Space Access  
The successful execution of VV06 reinforced confidence in Vega as a cost‑effective, reliable launcher for scientific and commercial payloads, expanding Europe’s ability to independently access a variety of orbital regimes, including deep‑space destinations.  

## Schema Markup  
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