Vega lifted off Dec. 3 from French Guiana at 1:04 a.m. local time, placing LISA Pathfinder into an elliptical parking orbit (ESA photo)

Designers of Europe’s light-lift Vega rocket are creating a slew of new products intended to lure prospective customers away from India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle and to fend off the coming wave of launch startups that are developing dedicated rockets for cubesats and other small satellites.

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Caleb Henry is a former SpaceNews staff writer.