Europe will be playing for big on Tuesday, July 9. Carine Leveau, Director of Space Transportation at the National Center for Space Studies (CNES), says the anticipation is high for the inaugural flight, initially planned for 2020. Since the Vega-C accident and the retirement of Ariane 5 a year ago, the continent has lost its independent access to space.
After a long wait and postponements, the time has finally arrived for the launch of Ariane 6…
At the end of 2023, we said that the inaugural flight would be between mid-June and the end of July 2024. A few weeks ago, we were able to narrow the window to the first fifteen days of July, given the progress of the program and the activities in French Guiana. Finally, the first launch attempt will be on July 9, as announced by Philippe Baptiste (CEO of CNES), Josef Ashbacher (DG of the European Space Agency), Martin Sion (CEO of ArianeGroup) and Stéphane Israël (CEO of Arianespace).
Carine Leveau is an engineer and director of space transportation at the National Center for Space Studies.
What time slot do you have, beyond Tuesday July 9, between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m.?
It will depend on why we would not be able to take off, whether it is a weather problem or a major technical problem that appeared on the launcher at the last moment. In the first hypothesis, it will be postponed two days later.
The stakes are fundamental, for obvious questions of sovereignty.
There are probably a lot of mixed feelings as we approach this date…
There are many, but what really predominates is the concentration. We are approaching a major event, the first flight of a new launch system in an exceptional context, since Europe no longer has autonomous access to space and this launch will be the means for it to recover it. The stakes are fundamental, for obvious questions of sovereignty. But we must not forget to savor a moment that is also the realization of ten years of investment. A moment that we only experience once, because this type of development is decided once every thirty years – the previous one, Ariane 5, was in the 1980s. This will certainly be the D-Day that we will see smiles, if everything goes as planned.
Who will be the passengers on this inaugural flight? One is from Montpellier.
Absolutely! The ESA has made a call for applications and selected several, regarding fifteen passengers. You have several cubesats developed by universities, scientists and even NASA. There are two capsules dedicated to understanding phenomena during the recovery of the upper stages. And then on-board experiments, which will take place during the orbital phase.
Major customers are waiting for the machine to take off and for us to enter an industrial phase…
Yes, we have large-scale institutional missions waiting to be deployed in orbit. French sovereign missions, satellites from the Galileo constellation. And Arianespace’s commercial customers, including the constellation developed by Amazon, which has signed eighteen launch contracts. Arianespace’s order book is full.
A significant increase in power, even on Ariane 5 we did not do that
If this flight is a success, will the rest follow quickly?
There is an ambition to ramp up very quickly. If all goes well, we will carry out a second flight before the end of the year. Six are already planned for next year, eight or nine for the following year. This is a significant ramp-up, even on Ariane 5 we did not do that, and the manufacturers concerned are already very advanced in the production of these launchers: from the bolt to the stages, it has been running at full speed for several months.
Does this also include European space exploration missions?
Yes, the whole of space Europe is eagerly awaiting the availability of Ariane 6.
Can Exomars, grounded by the war in Ukraine, take advantage of this?
It had to be reconfigured following the end of collaboration with Russia to adapt the mission to a new launcher and an American solution is being considered.
The version that will take off is a two-booster Model 62. What regarding the sequel, the four-booster version, in particular?
In fact, they were developed at the same time, everything is already ready, only additional supporting files remain to be finalized. We should have a first flight of this version 64 in 2025. Afterwards, there is a program to improve the performance of Ariane 6 which was decided in 2022: the development of new boosters; increasing the thrust of the upper stage. These two elements will allow Ariane 6 to put into orbit in one go a string of satellites of a constellation, on an entire plane, instead of having to make several flights.
It is a 100% consumable launcher. Which does not mean that we are not working on reuse
We won’t get anything back from Ariane 6, will we?
No, it is a 100% expendable launcher. Which does not mean that we have not been working on reuse since 2015, to acquire this skill and develop it within the French and European space industry. Through a new engine, Prometheus, which will run on liquid oxygen and methane and will be reusable, and two demonstrators: Callisto, a reduced-scale demonstrator for the reuse of a first stage, and Themis, at scale one, equipped with Prometheus.
Knowing that behind, pushed by the new space and to address the microsatellite market, we hope to see a first reusable mini-launcher flying in Europe before 2027.
Will we one day see Ariane 6 topped with an astronaut transport ship?
This is the dream of all engineers working on access to space! It is not a technical problem, it is a question of political will, which requires that all ESA Member States be united around the objective and manned flight is not yet a consensus. We all hope so, a step has been taken, in Seville in November 2023, with the launch of a competition for the development of a reusable cargo ship. This is a first step, perhaps, towards this ambition of one day transforming it into a shuttle carrying humans.
Ariane 6: Europe’s Space Comeback
After a long wait and postponements, Europe is poised to reclaim its spacefaring independence with the highly anticipated launch of Ariane 6. The inaugural flight, initially scheduled for 2020, has been delayed due to the Vega-C accident and the retirement of Ariane 5, leaving Europe without its own access to space for a year. Now, on Tuesday, July 9, the countdown to this pivotal moment begins.
The launch window for Ariane 6’s maiden voyage is set between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. on July 9. However, potential weather issues or unforeseen technical complications might push the launch back to two days later. This event carries significant weight, not just for the future of European space exploration but also for its sovereignty. It marks the culmination of ten years of investment and a pivotal moment for the European space industry.
The Passengers on the First Flight
The inaugural flight of Ariane 6 will host a diverse array of passengers, including:
- Cubesats developed by universities, scientists, and NASA.
- Two capsules dedicated to studying phenomena during upper stage recovery.
- On-board experiments to be conducted during the orbital phase.
One noteworthy passenger is a cubesat developed in Montpellier, showcasing the collaborative nature of this mission.
A New Era for European Space Exploration
The success of Ariane 6’s inaugural launch signifies the beginning of a new chapter for European space exploration. Key customers, including institutional bodies and commercial entities, are eagerly awaiting the launch system’s readiness. The order book for Ariane 6 is already full, with numerous missions queued up, including:
- French sovereign missions.
- Satellites from the Galileo constellation.
- Commercial contracts for Amazon’s constellation.
This launch ushers in a new era of ambitious and rapid development. With the goal of launching six additional Ariane 6 rockets in 2025, eight to nine in 2026, and a significant increase in power, the pace of operation surpasses even the achievements of Ariane 5.
Looking to the Future: The Future of Reusable Launchers
While Ariane 6 is currently a 100% expendable launcher, Europe is actively developing reusable launch systems. The Prometheus engine, fueled by liquid oxygen and methane, is specifically designed for reusability. The Callisto and Themis demonstrators are being tested, with Callisto focusing on first-stage reusability and Themis serving as a full-scale prototype equipped with Prometheus.
Furthermore, Europe aims to introduce a reusable mini-launcher before 2027, targeting the growing microsatellite market.
The Ambition of Human Spaceflight
The ultimate goal for European space exploration is human spaceflight. While not currently a consensus among all ESA member countries, the dream of sending astronauts into space on Ariane 6 remains a pivotal ambition. Recent developments, such as the competition for the development of a reusable cargo ship, hint at a possible future where Ariane 6 might play a role in human space exploration.
A Pivotal Milestone
The launch of Ariane 6 is undeniably a significant milestone for Europe. It not only signals a return to autonomous access to space but also sets the stage for an ambitious future of space exploration and innovation. With the launch of Ariane 6, Europe is poised to reclaim its role as a leading force in the global space race, paving the way for new discoveries and technological advancements.
