Europe's Ariane 6 heavy rocket successfully launches from French Guiana spaceport on first attempt – Video

This first flight of the 63-meter-long rocket, which began at around 10 p.m. Kyiv time on July 9, was to showcase Ariane 6’s capabilities and skills in escape from Earth’s gravity, space operations and satellite deployment.

At 11:06 p.m. Kyiv time, an hour after the launch, the first group of satellites aboard Ariane 6 was released from the upper stage and placed into orbit 600 km above the Earth. These were satellites and experimental objects from various space agencies, companies, research institutes, and universities.

“A completely new rocket is not launched often, and success is far from guaranteed,” said the European Space Agency Director General Josef Aschbacher.

“I am privileged to have witnessed this historic moment when Europe’s new generation of the Ariane family lifted off – successfully – effectively reinstating European access to space. An inaugural launch is a huge undertaking from thousands of people who have worked relentlessly for years. To see it perform wonderfully at the first attempt is testament to their dedication and a demonstration of European excellence in engineering and technology.”

The next Ariane 6 rocket is scheduled to launch this year during the first commercial flight. It will be operated by Arianespace as operator and launch service provider.

The Ariane 6 launch vehicle, manufactured by ArianeGroup, replaces Ariane 5, which was decommissioned last July after its 117th mission. Ariane 5 operated from 1996 to 2023 and was the main ESA launch system. Ariane 6 was supposed to start operating immediately after its predecessor’s decommissioning, but the development of Ariane 6, worth about 4 billion euros ($4.3 billion), is four years behind schedule.

At the end of 2023, a successful test of the rocket’s engine was conducted. This test was the most important of the pre-flight tests that the rocket must pass before the full launch, which was planned last year for mid-2024.