Europe is preparing for the initial launch of the Ariane 6 rocket.

HELSINKI — Europe is approaching a pivotal moment with the upcoming inaugural flight of the Ariane 6 launch vehicle on Tuesday.

The Ariane 6 is scheduled to lift off from the Kourou launch site in French Guiana between 2:00–6:00 p.m. Eastern (1800–2200 UTC) on July 9. The European Space Agency (ESA) will provide a live stream of the launch via ESAWebTV.

The maiden flight of the Ariane 6 will use the 56-meter-long ’62’ variant, which is equipped with two solid boosters. The main stage of this variant is powered by the Vulcain 2.1 engine, which is an upgrade from the Vulcain engine used in the Ariane 5.

The Ariane 6 ’62’ can carry up to 10.3 tons to low Earth orbit, whereas the larger “64” variant, which includes four solid boosters, has a capacity of up to 21.6 tons. The first flight will primarily deploy a collection of small satellites and experiments from various space agencies, companies, research institutes, universities, and young professionals.

The launch has faced multiple delays and was initially intended to occur in 2020. The Ariane 6 is designed to replace the retired Ariane 5, with a focus on reducing costs. The first flight is crucial due to the previous delays, a backlog of 30 orders, and ongoing concerns about European access to space. This flight is seen as a significant event for prime contractor ArianeGroup, launch service provider Arianespace, ESA, and other stakeholders.

Hermann Ludwig Moeller, director of the European Space Policy Institute, emphasized the importance of having independent access to space for Europe. He highlighted that this capability is vital for launching EU Space Programme missions, EUMETSAT meteorological satellites, ESA missions, security and defense missions, as well as commercial endeavors.

Ariane 6 already has 30 launches booked, including 18 for Amazon’s Kuiper constellation. There are plans to increase the frequency of launches to nine per year, contingent on the success of the first flight.

However, the first flight of new rockets often encounters high risks. “Statistically, there’s a 47% chance the first flight might not succeed or meet all expectations,” warned Josef Aschbacher, ESA’s director general, in May.

Moeller also pointed out that a successful Ariane 6 would benefit various space applications, such as climate monitoring, weather forecasting, secure communications, 5G and Internet services, and economic and defense security.

The delays and the cost implications of the Ariane 6 program have impacted the European space sector’s ability to advance other initiatives, Moeller noted. The focus on the launcher crisis has hindered progress on other fronts, especially as other space powers and commercial enterprises advance rapidly.

Due to the delay in the Ariane 6’s introduction, ESA was compelled to use a Falcon 9 rocket to launch its Euclid space telescope last year and the EarthCARE satellite in May.

In late June, European weather satellite operator Eumetsat decided to transfer one of its geostationary weather satellite launches from Ariane 6 to Falcon 9. This decision, made for reasons not fully explained by Eumetsat, surprised European space officials.

In response to the access to space challenges, Europe is also exploring other launch options. An ESA Council resolution on July 5 cleared the path for the commercialization of the Vega rocket by prime contractor Avio. The resolution also authorized the use of the French Guiana spaceport for four micro- and mini-launchers from European companies Isar Aerospace, MaiaSpace, PLD Space, and Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA).

These measures are intended to create a more diverse European launch service landscape in an increasingly competitive environment. RFA, in a statement, called for private industry to take the lead in future rocket development and operations, while ESA and the EU would procure the launch services.

Moeller stressed that Europe must focus beyond the Ariane 6 launch. “After July 10, Europe needs to concentrate on enhancing the use of space across all domains to benefit its economy, industry, and global peace,” he concluded.