On Tuesday, July 9, 2024, the Ariane 6 rocket made its maiden flight. The launch was performed from the European spaceport in French Guiana, the European Space Agency (ESA) reports.
"A completely new rocket is not launched often, and success is far from guaranteed. 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,” said ESA's Director General Josef Aschbacher.
The ESA says that this flight is a demonstration flight to show the capabilities of Ariane 6 in overcoming Earth's gravity and working in space. The new launch vehicle will serve as a replacement for Ariane 5.
The conceptual development of Ariane 6 started in 2010, but the development of a test model began in 2016. The first launch of the rocket was planned for 2020, but it was repeatedly postponed.
The rocket was developed by ArianeGroup. Its CEO Martin Sion noted that with the successful maiden flight of Ariane 6, the European space industry has entered a new era.
"Seeing Europe’s new launcher lift off into space marks the culmination of an outstanding technical and technological adventure, and the beginning of a long history of Ariane 6 operations. The next flight models are already in production," said ArianeGroup CEO.
The first flight of the European launch vehicle attracted attention around the world. In particular, in Ukraine, where residents of different regions could see a glow in the sky that night. The Alpha Centauri explained that it was the passage of the second stage of Ariane 6.
