“It’s a good day for Europe in space,” according to ESA Director Josef Aschbacher. 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.
The decision follows the “complete success”, according to Josef Aschbacher, of a critical test carried out on November 23 in Kourou, French Guiana. 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 probably be announced in March or April 2024, according to Josef Aschbacher.
Joint decision
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.
Several reports
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: December 7 with a test of the Vinci re-ignitable engine of the upper stage, and 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) meets expectations,” said Martin Sion, CEO of ArianeGroup. Josef Aschbacher was pleased that “the technical issues have been “stabilized” and the timetable too”.