Ariane 6, the European Space Agency’s next-generation heavy-lift rocket, will make its maiden flight on 9 July, ending a year of Europe’s inability to access space on its own. The launch vehicle, built by ArianeGroup, replaces Ariane 5, which was retired last July after its 117th mission. The launch window opens at 14:00 ET on Tuesday (20:00 CEST).
Ariane 5 was in operation from 1996 until 2023 and was ESA’s primary launch system. Ariane 6 was supposed to take over immediately after its predecessor retired, but years of development delays meant that it was ultimately not ready in time. As a result, ESA has had to rely on other launch providers, such as SpaceX, to launch scientific missions over the past year. If all goes well with Ariane 6, Europe will be back in the game. “Ariane 6 marks a new era of autonomous and versatile European space travel,” said in June, adding that it would “restore Europe’s independent access to space.”
The Ariane 6 launch will take place from Europe's spaceport in French Guiana. It will be streamed on Coverage is expected to begin 30 minutes before takeoff.
