Ariane 6 completes first commercial launch
Reuters
Europe's newest uncrewed heavy launcher, the Ariane 6, successfully blasted off on Thursday in its first commercially operational launch, carrying a French military observation satellite into orbit.
This launch marks the culmination of more than a decade of development for Ariane 6, following a partially successful inaugural test flight on July 9, 2023, which saw the rocket conduct a series of trials but leave its upper stage in orbit due to a software glitch. The mission on Thursday, which is transporting the CSO-3 optical and infrared satellite for the French Air Force's Space Command, highlighted the importance of Europe regaining independent access to space.
The retirement of the Ariane 5 rocket in 2023 left Europe with limited access to space, especially after the war in Ukraine disrupted ties with Russian Soyuz rockets. Additionally, Italy's Vega C was grounded for two years until last December. The delays in the Ariane 6's development, initially planned for 2020, have led to Europe relying on external providers, including Elon Musk's SpaceX for some launches.
Despite carrying a military payload, the mission is classified as commercial by European authorities because it is managed by Arianespace, the operator of the Ariane 6, rather than the European Space Agency (ESA), which was responsible for the rocket's development. The Ariane 6 itself is built by ArianeGroup, a joint venture between Airbus and Safran, marking a key collaboration in Europe’s space efforts.
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