The light-lift Vega ascends from the Spaceport's SLV launch complex with the Mohammed VI A satellite. Credit: Arianespace.

Arianespace has launched Morocco’s Earth observation satellite, the Mohammed VI–A, from Guiana Space Centre (CSG) in French Guiana.

Weighing 1,110kg at launch, the satellite separated from the Arianespace Vega rocket in 55min and 33s after lift-off and was positioned in a Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO).

A consortium comprising Thales Alenia Space and Airbus designed and built the satellite.

“The latest launch marks the 11th successful mission for Vega since 2012 and the third Vega launch of this year.”

The Mohammed VI–A will be primarily used for regional development, agricultural monitoring, mapping and land surveying activities, prevention and management of natural disasters, and monitoring changes in the environment and desertification.

The satellites’ payload comprises an optical instrument, an image transmission subsystem, and a ground segment for image processing and production.

The latest launch marks the 11th successful mission for Vega since 2012 and the third Vega launch of this year. It also represents the second Vega mission by Arianespace using a new operational organisation in partnership with its partner industrial prime contractor for Vega, Avio.

Arianespace is planning to use the upgraded version of its Vega launcher, Vega C, by 2019.

The company also has a backlog of nine missions for Vega and Vega C, one-third of which will be carried out for European institutions and two-thirds are for export customers.