- Following the success of Ariane 6’s inaugural flight and a full analysis of the data collected, ArianeGroup and Arianespace announce that the European heavy-lift launcher will make its first commercial flight in the first quarter of 2025.
- Arianespace will announce the flight date a few weeks before the launch.
After the success of Ariane 6’s inaugural flight on July 9, ArianeGroup, Arianespace and their partners are now preparing for the launcher’s second flight.
There are several stages in the lead-up to the second launch:
-Analysis of millions of data points collected during the inaugural flight is now complete. The data confirms the excellent behavior and performance of Ariane 6, and only a small number of deviations from forecasts, which have been fully understood and are being addressed. The flight software correction required to re-ignite the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) and de-orbit the upper stage has been completed.
-Launcher production: the main stage and upper stage for this flight are now integrated at ArianeGroup’s sites in Les Mureaux, France, and Bremen, Germany. They will soon be traveling to French Guiana on the innovative low-carbon ship, Canopée.
-Lastly, within the Ariane 6 launch complex (ELA 4) at Europe’s Spaceport, handover to Arianespace and ArianeGroup has been effected and work is underway to finalize preparations for the second flight and subsequent ones.
In light of these different factors, Ariane 6 is expected to make its next flight in the first quarter of 2025, from mid-February. Arianespace is working with customers to prepare the next launches for 2025, for which the scheduled dates are unchanged.
“Arianespace is getting set for the first commercial launch of Ariane 6, and the next ones that will take place in 2025. We again thank our customers, the French Space Agency and the French Ministry for the Armed Forces, for their trust. We are preparing this fresh start for Europe in space with enthusiasm,” said Stéphane Israël, CEO of Arianespace.
“After the successful inaugural flight on July 9, the teams from ArianeGroup and its partners retrieved and analyzed millions of data points. The careful analysis enabled us to make a number of adjustments in preparation for Ariane 6’s future missions and confirm the quality of development of Europe’s new heavy-lift launcher and its ability to carry out all missions to all orbits. The ramp-up has now started in both our own and our partners’ factories, and we are already working on the next launchers,” said Martin Sion, CEO of ArianeGroup.
Ariane 6 is a program managed and financed by the European Space Agency (ESA). As lead contractor and design authority for the launcher, ArianeGroup is responsible for development and production together with its industrial partners. As of this first commercial flight, Ariane 6 is being marketed and operated by Arianespace.