Ariane 6: key takeaways from the 9 July 2024 maiden flight
Europe's new heavy launcher made its inaugural flight from the Guiana Space Centre. Architecture, versions and programme stakeholders.
By Newsroom · Published
A maiden flight from Kourou
Ariane 6 lifted off for the first time on 9 July 2024 from the new ELA-4 launch pad at the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou.
Two versions
- Ariane 62: two P120C strap-on boosters.
- Ariane 64: four P120C boosters, for the heaviest payloads.
Architecture
The core stage is powered by the Vulcain 2.1 engine. The upper stage uses the re-ignitable Vinci engine, allowing multiple payloads to be placed on different orbits — an asset for constellation deployment.
Stakeholders
The programme is led by ESA; ArianeGroup is prime contractor and Arianespace the commercial operator. CNES is responsible for the launch complex.
Sources
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