First flight of the Ariane 6 rocket planned between June 15 and July 31, 2024

2023-11-30 08:58:35

The inaugural launch of the European Ariane 6 rocket is planned between June 15 and July 31, 2024, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced on Thursday.

“It’s a good day for space Europe,” declared ESA Director Josef Aschbacher at a press conference, announcing this slot for the first flight of the future European heavy launcher, which was initially planned for 2020.

The decision follows the “complete success”, according to Mr. Aschbacher, of a critical test carried out on November 23 in Kourou. It consisted of a firing over the entire duration of a mission of the Vulcain 2.1 engine, which powers the main stage of the launcher.

The final launch date will likely be announced in March or April 2024, according to Aschbacher.

The president of CNES, Philippe Baptiste, specified that a “general qualification review” of the launcher will make it possible to secure a precise date for the launch. This review is ongoing and is expected to be completed around April.

The green light for the inaugural launch is the result of a joint decision by ESA, ArianeGroup – manufacturer of the launcher -, and CNES (National Center for Space Studies), which provides the infrastructure for the Guyanese spaceport from Kourou.

Initially planned for 2020, the first flight of Ariane 6, designed to face competition from the American launcher Space X, has been postponed several times due to the Covid-19 pandemic and development difficulties.

The launcher must undergo two more tests aimed at verifying its operation in so-called “degraded” conditions: on December 7 with a test of the Vinci re-ignitable engine of the upper stage, and on December 15 with a filling test of all stages, at Kourou.

These tests aim to “verify that the reliability and robustness of the design (of the launcher) conforms to expectations,” said Martin Sion, CEO of ArianeGroup.

Josef Aschbacher was pleased that “the technical issues have been +stabilized+ and the timetable too”.

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