Tag: Ariane 6
-
ArianeGroup prepares to ship Ariane 6 maiden flight rocket to Kourou
The combined Ariane 6 launcher task force, consisting of ESA, CNES, and ArianeGroup, has reported on the progress of Ariane 6, the steps to launch, and the beginning of stage shipments to the launch site. The Canopée ship, which Ariane and ESA use to transport the massive rocket, will collect the first and second stages…
-
ESA sets launch date for Ariane 6 for summer of 2024
The long-awaited maiden flight of Ariane 6 is scheduled to take place between June 15 and July 31, 2024, European Space Agency (ESA) Director General Josef Aschbacher announced at a press conference on Thursday. This followed a successful hot-fire test of the Vulcain 2.1 core stage engine of the new European launcher on its launch…
-
Rocket Report: A mysterious explosion in China; Firefly tests new engine
Welcome to Edition 6.21 of the Rocket Report! Someone is always watching, and it’s more difficult than ever to hide bad news. This is one of my mantras as a reporter who will always come down on the side of transparency. We’ve seen space companies and government agencies in the United States try to downplay…
-
ESA Director General: Ariane 6 aiming for summer 2024 debut
The Ariane 6 rocket photographed at dusk in French Guiana. During a briefing on Thursday, Nov. 30, ESA officials discussed a summer timeframe for the first launch of the rocket. Image: ESA Lengthy delays for the debut of Europe’s future flagship rocket may have an end in sight. During a briefing with press on Thursday,…
-
Seven-minute hotfire test moves Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket closer to flight
The European Space Agency (ESA) declared success after an Ariane 6 rocket fired its core-stage engine in French Guiana for seven minutes on Thursday, clearing one of a handful of remaining hurdles before the new launcher can lift off on its first test flight. The Ariane 6’s inaugural launch, now scheduled for next year, has…
-
Rocket Report: Tough times for Astra and Virgin; SpaceX upgrading launch pad
Welcome to Edition 6.19 of the Rocket Report! While we wait for SpaceX to launch the second full-scale test flight of Starship, a lot of the news this week involved companies with much smaller rockets. Astra is struggling to find enough funding to remain in business, and Virgin Galactic says it will fly its suborbital…
-
After the sting of Ariane 6, Europe finally embraces commercial rockets
Representatives from 22 European countries reached an agreement Monday to change the way the continent’s rockets are developed, moving from a government-driven approach to a commercial paradigm that appears to be modeled after how NASA and the US military do business. This is a big moment for the European Space Agency and its member states,…
-
Ariane 6 cost and delays bring European launch industry to a breaking point
European space officials will convene on Monday and Tuesday to discuss the future of space policy for the continent. The “Space Summit” gathering in Seville, Spain, will encompass several topics, including the future of launch. “Seville will be a very decisive moment for space in Europe,” said the director general of the European Space Agency,…
-
Rocket Report: China launches 3-man crew; SpaceX adds to busy manifest
Welcome to Edition 6.17 of the Rocket Report! Two Asian powers notched achievements in their human spaceflight programs this week. In China, three astronauts launched to begin a six-month expedition on the Tiangong space station. With this mission, China is settling into a routine of operations on the Tiangong complex. Elsewhere in Asia, India took…
-
Oops—It looks like the Ariane 6 rocket may not offer Europe any launch savings
Nearly a decade ago, the European Space Agency announced plans to develop the next generation of its Ariane rocket, the Ariane 6 booster. The goal was to bring a less costly workhorse rocket to market that could compete with the likes of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 booster and begin flying by 2020. It has been well…