Europe Launches First New Ariane 6 Rocket Worth €4bn into Space

On Tuesday, 9 July, the Ariane 6 launch vehicle, which cost the EU €4 billion, made its maiden flight from the European spaceport in French Guiana.

This was reported by the European Space Agency (ESA).

"A brand new rocket is not often launched, and success is not always guaranteed. I am honoured to witness this historic moment when the new generation of the European Ariane rocket has successfully launched, effectively restoring Europe's access to space," said ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher.

The vehicle went into space for a demonstration mission to launch a group of satellites into orbit.

ESA says that this flight is to showcase Ariane 6's capabilities 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 first flight of Ariane 6, the European space industry has entered a new era.

"The launch of Europe's newest launch vehicle 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 the light in the sky that night. The Alpha Centauri explained that it was the flight of the second stage of Ariane 6.