Ariane 6 will launch from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on 9 July 2024. Credit: ESA – S. Corvaja
Ariane 6, Europe’s new heavy lift rocket, made its maiden flight from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana at 16:00 local time on 9 July (20:00 BST, 21:00 CEST).
Ariane 6 is the latest member of the European Ariane rocket series and is the successor to Ariane 5. The design is modular and versatile and can perform missions from low Earth orbit to deep space.
“A completely new rocket is launched infrequently and success is far from guaranteed. I am privileged to have witnessed this historic moment when the new generation of the Ariane family was launched in Europe – successfully – restoring Europe’s access to space,” said ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher.
Ariane 6 will be launched on 9 July 2024. Credit: ESA – M. Pédoussaut
Triumph of European space innovation
“A first launch is a huge undertaking for thousands of people who have worked tirelessly for years. To achieve such a great result on the first try is a testament to their dedication and a demonstration of European excellence in engineering and technology. A big thank you to the teams at ESA, CNES, ArianeGroup and Arianespace for their hard work to get to this point. I would also like to sincerely thank our Member States for enabling and supporting the Ariane 6 programme. Not always easy, but the perseverance shown has paid off handsomely today.”
This inaugural flight, designated VA262, is a demonstration flight intended to demonstrate the capabilities and competence of Ariane 6 in escaping Earth’s gravity and operating in space. Nevertheless, there were several passengers on board.
Installing payloads on Ariane 6 in the encapsulation hall at the European Spaceport, French Guiana, June 4, 2024. From established players like NASA to students designing their very first satellite, these missions will measure gamma rays, track wildlife, test self-healing solar cells, confirm the theory of blackbody radiation and more. There’s a smart agriculture satellite, a radio beacon demonstrator, experiments that will remain attached to the rocket’s payload adapter and even capsules destined to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere to test new materials – Ariane 6’s maiden flight will be packed with technology as its first payloads are sent on their way to space. Credit: ESA/ArianeGroup/Arianespace/CNES
Successful implementation and future prospects
At 21:06 BST, 22:06 CEST, one hour after launch, the first set of satellites on board Ariane 6 were released from the upper stage and placed in an orbit 600 km above the Earth. Satellites and experiments from various space agencies, companies, research institutes, universities and young professionals were included in this inaugural flight.
In addition to the rocket, the launch demonstrated the launch pad and ground operations at Europe’s Spaceport. The new purpose-built launch zone was built by the French space agency CNES and will allow for a faster turnaround of Ariane launches.
Ariane 6 seen from the air, just hours before its first launch from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. With the 90-metre-high, 8,200-tonne mobile building now in its final position, fuelling is ready to begin. Credit: ESA – S. Corvaja
Building momentum for Ariane 6
On the occasion of the launch, Philippe Baptiste, CEO of CNES, said: “With this first successful launch of Ariane 6, Europe has finally regained its capacity to access space. Beyond the great emotion I feel now, my first thoughts are with all the teams in Kourou, Paris, Vernon, Les Mureaux, Toulouse, Bremen, Lampoldshausen, Liège, Barcelona, Colleferro, Zurich and everywhere else in Europe who made this success possible. I would like to acknowledge the commitment of the employees of CNES, ESA, ArianeGroup, Arianespace and our subcontractors. These past months have been intense and I would like to thank them all. Europe can be proud of its space programme, Europe can be proud of its knowledge and expertise. Let us prepare together the future of launchers and space.”
Artist’s impression of European space transportation systems. Shown here is the Ariane 6 (A62) two-booster launcher in Flight FM1 configuration, operated from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Ariane 6 offers a modular architecture with two boosters (Ariane 62) or four boosters (Ariane 64), depending on the required performance. Credit: ESA – D. Ducros
Ariane 6 was built by the prime contractor and design authority ArianeGroup. “With the successful first flight of Ariane 6, the European space industry has entered a new era,” said Martin Sion, CEO of ArianeGroup. “This historic launch demonstrates the unfailing dedication of our teams and partners, whom I would like to warmly thank for this success, which reflects the entire European industry. Seeing the new European launcher launch into space marks the culmination of an excellent technical and technological adventure and the beginning of a long history of Ariane 6 operations. The next flight models are already in production and the stages of the second model will be shipped to the Guiana Space Centre this autumn for the first commercial flight of Ariane 6.”
The first flight of Ariane 6 will consist of three phases, each demonstrating the different capabilities of the launch vehicle:
Phase 1 (Events 1-5): From Ground to Orbit
The first phase of the Ariane 6 flight will launch the rocket from Earth and send it into space using the thrust of the main stage, powered by the Vulcain engine, together with the power of the two powerful P120C boosters. Phase 1 involves the separation of the main stage from the upper stage and the first boost of the Vinci engine of the upper stage, which will place the rocket and its passengers in an elliptical orbit of 300 by 700 km above the Earth.
Phase 2 (Events 6-9): Upper Stage Reignition and Satellite Deployment
The next phase will see the newest feature of Ariane 6 put to the test: reignition of the upper stage. In phase 2, the Vinci engine will restart, changing Ariane 6’s orbit from elliptical to circular. This will be followed by the deployment of the rocket’s eight satellites and the activation of the five experiments on board.
Phase 3 (Events 9-12): Technical demonstrations, deorbiting and capsule separation
The final phase of Ariane 6’s inaugural flight will be to push the cryogenic upper stage to its limits and validate its ability to perform in microgravity conditions. The final phase will initiate the controlled deorbit of the upper stage back through the Earth’s atmosphere above the ‘NEMO point’ in the South Pacific, to avoid becoming space debris. Moments later, the two onboard reentry capsules will separate from the upper stage and all three will descend safely home.
Credit: ESA
Continuing the journey
With the placement of satellites in orbit, Ariane 6 has demonstrated that it can successfully launch its payloads into space, but ground controllers have even more in store for its inaugural flight. Over the next hour, Ariane 6’s upper stage will once again demonstrate that it can restart its Vinci engine using the new auxiliary propulsion unit. This restart capability will allow Ariane 6 to drop multiple passengers into different orbits on future flights and to deorbit itself through Earth’s atmosphere at the end of its mission, ensuring it doesn’t become space junk.
During this flight, the Ariane 6 upper stage will release two reentry capsules as it enters the Earth’s atmosphere. There, they will be stored cleanly and burn up harmlessly, leaving no space debris in space.
The next Ariane 6 is scheduled to launch this year on its first commercial flight under Arianespace as operator and launch service provider. “The success of this first flight marks the beginning of Ariane 6’s operational career, giving Europe autonomous access to space,” added Stéphane Israël, CEO of Arianespace. “The order book for the new launcher is proof of the versatility of Ariane 6 and its capacity to perform a wide range of multi-orbit missions. It reflects the confidence that customers have in Ariane 6 for both their institutional and commercial missions. We are eager to bring our new launcher into service.”