A strange glow appeared in the night sky, after which it was seen by Ukrainians in various regions. It turned out to be the second stage of the Ariane 6 rocket.
On July 9, the first launch of the heavy European Ariane 6 rocket took place from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana.
Ariane 6
Ariane 6 is the latest European rocket in the Ariane series, which replaced Ariane 5 and has a modular and versatile design that allows launching missions from low Earth orbit and further into deep space.
“A completely new rocket is not often launched, and success is not always guaranteed. I am honored to witness this historic moment when the next generation of Europe’s Ariane rocket has successfully launched, effectively restoring Europe’s access to space,” said ESA Director-General Josef Aschbacher.
This maiden flight is a demonstration flight to showcase the Ariane 6’s capabilities and prowess in overcoming Earth’s gravity and operating in space. Nevertheless, there were several passengers on board.
The next flight models are already in production, and the stages of the second model will be sent to the Guiana Space Center this fall for the first commercial flight of Ariane 6.
The benefits of Ariane 6
By launching satellites into orbit, Ariane 6 has demonstrated that it can successfully launch payloads into space. In addition, it will be able to land multiple passengers in different orbits during future flights and de-orbiter through the Earth’s atmosphere at the end of its mission to avoid becoming space junk.
During this flight, Ariane 6’s upper stage is to release two capsules upon re-entry for clean disposal, to burn harmlessly without leaving any space junk in orbit.
The next Ariane 6 launch vehicle is scheduled to launch this year on its first commercial flight under the auspices of Arianespace as an operator and launch services provider.
“The order book for the new launcher is proof of the Ariane 6’s versatility and ability to perform a wide range of missions in different orbits. It demonstrates the confidence customers have in Ariane 6 for both institutional and commercial missions. We look forward to launching our new launch vehicle,” added Stephane Israel, CEO of Arianespace.
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