Ariane 6 upper stage becomes space junk

On July 9, ESA and Arianespace launched the new Ariane 6 rocket for the first time. It successfully delivered its payload to the target orbit. However, the mission’s finale was marred by a failure that resulted in the rocket’s upper stage becoming space debris.

Launch of the Ariane 6 rocket. Source: ESA

Ariane 6 was launched from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana. After the separation of the side boosters and the first stage, the upper stage with the payload (nine CubeSats) entered an intermediate elliptical orbit around the Earth.

Engineers then retriggered the upper stage’s Vinci engine, which propelled the stage into a 600-kilometer orbit around Earth, where the payload separation process began.

Unfortunately, the mission was marred by a failure during the final stage. The flight plan called for the Ariane 6 upper stage to fire its engine once more and enter a trajectory that would allow for a controlled splashdown in the South Pacific. Before re-entering the atmosphere, the stage was also to jettison two capsules that were part of an experiment testing technologies and materials needed to return cargo from space.

However, due to the failure of the low-thrust engine used to deposit the fuel, the upper stage of Ariane 6 was unable to perform the planned maneuver and remained in space. ESA representatives later confirmed that they would not be able to deorbit it. Thus, the stage became a piece of space debris. It is currently unknown how long it will take for it to enter the atmosphere.

The upper stage of the Ariane 6 rocket. Source: ESA

At a press conference following the launch, ESA and Arianespace tried to downplay the incident, saying it had no impact on the mission’s success and that the next Ariane 6 flight would take place before the end of 2024. However, it is worth noting that the stage that remained in orbit most likely had a significant amount of fuel left in its tanks. This creates the risk of an explosion that might lead to the creation of a large number of fragments. Given that ESA recently adopted the Zero Debris Charter, such an event would clearly not reflect well on the space agency’s reputation.