This photo shows the European Space Agency satellite launcher Ariane 6 rocket taking off from the launch pad at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana on July 9, 2024.
Jodi Amit | AFP | Getty Images
As the region returns to the Musk’s SpaceX.
Standing more than 200 feet tall and powered by Vulcain engines and a pair of boosters, Ariane 6 launched from Kourou, French Guiana at 3 p.m. ET before successfully entering orbit.
The rocket was built at a cost of approximately $4.5 billion by ArianeGroup, a joint venture between Airbus and Safran, overseen by the European Space Agency (ESA). Thirteen countries are participating in the Ariane 6 programme.
This photo shows the European Space Agency satellite launcher Ariane 6 rocket taking off from the launch pad at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana on July 9, 2024.
Jodi Amit | AFP | Getty Images
It is the latest in a line of European rockets that date back to the 1970s and succeeds the Ariane 5 rocket, which launched 117 times before being retired last year. Ariane 6 comes in two versions: Ariane 62, with two solid rocket boosters that can deliver up to 10,000 kilograms of cargo to low Earth orbit (LEO), and Ariane 64, a models With four solid rocket boosters, it can transport up to 21,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit.
In the launch market, Ariane 6 belongs to “Heavy” class rocket.
The first flight of Ariane 6 is an ESA demonstration mission that will carry a variety of small satellites and spacecraft. After liftoff, the flight will last nearly three hours to complete the deployment of the 11 spacecraft and include a series of key tests of the rocket’s upper-stage engine.
Delayed appearance
The European Space Agency satellite launcher Ariane 6 rocket launched for the first time on July 9, 2024 from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.
Jodi Amit | AFP | Getty Images
The Ariane 6’s maiden voyage has been delayed for several years due to technical problems, the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
After a full-scale invasion of its neighbor Russia Suspend all European mission launches in its Soyuz rocket. Another smaller European rocket, Vega-C, has been grounded since a launch failure in 2022 and is not expected to fly again until later this year at the earliest.
Despite rising costs and lengthy delays, European leaders continue to support the Ariane 6 program, stressing the importance of the continent having its own access to space rather than relying on SpaceX.
But out of necessity, Europe has turned to SpaceX many times because The company enjoys a near-monopoly in the global launch market.
The European Space Agency satellite launcher Ariane 6 rocket moves to the launch pad before liftoff from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, on July 9, 2024.
Jodi Amit | AFP | Getty Images
SpaceX’s reusable and relatively affordable Falcon 9 rocket offers a compelling alternative to spacecraft that have been waiting for Ariane 6 to begin flying. High-profile ESA missions such as the EarthCARE spacecraft, the Euclid telescope and the Galileo satellite have launched on SpaceX rockets.
Last month, the European meteorological satellite operator EUMETSAT made an “exceptional” decision Switching an upcoming planned satellite launch from Ariane 6 to Falcon 9 was a choice that was derided by other European officials.
Philippe Baptiste, head of France’s Center National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES), wrote in a statement: “I can’t wait to find out what led European Meteorological Satellite to take such a decision.” postal on social media.
“How far will we, Europeans, go in our naivety?” Baptiste added.
It is worth noting that although most US companies seek to challenge SpaceX Leaning towards reusable rocket technology, Ariane 6, like its predecessor, is disposable, meaning each vehicle is disposable and will be discarded at the end of its mission.
It’s not just Europe’s desire to get into space of its own that’s driving the Ariane 6 rocket. There is another important client awaiting release: Amazon. The American tech giant has A staggering 97 rocket launches ordered from five companiesNearly one-fifth of these were won by Arianespace to operate the Project Kuiper network satellite on Ariane 6.
