John Dehls

I preface this announcement with the disclaimer that while my source does work for @Avio_Group, they are not directly involved with the independent inquiry or with the development of the Zefiro 40 (Z40) motor. According to my source, they have heard that the Z40 nozzle has been identified as the cause of the failure and will need to be redesigned before the stage can reenter operational flight. If this is the case, a late 2024 return to flight is probably the best-case scenario. While this is a huge blow for Vega C, it may very well be a fantastic opportunity for some European launch startups to swoop in and fill the vacancy.