Ariane 62 artist's impression

Artist's view of an Ariane 6 flying into space over Earth. This image depicts the Ariane 6 with two boosters, known as Ariane 62. 

Ariane 6 is Europe’s newest heavy-lift rocket, designed to provide great power and flexibility at a lower cost than its predecessors. The launcher’s configuration – with an upgraded main stage, a choice of either two or four powerful boosters and a new restartable upper stage – will provide Europe with greater efficiency and possibility as it can launch multiple missions into different orbits on a single flight, while its upper stage will deorbit itself at the end of mission.

At over 60 metres tall, Ariane 6 will weigh almost 900 tonnes when launched with a full payload – roughly equivalent to one and a half Airbus A380 passenger aeroplanes. The new rocket will be available in two versions depending on the amount of thrust required: the Ariane 62 has two P120C boosters and the Ariane 64 has four, providing extra boost for heavier payloads or destinations further afield.

For the development of Ariane 6, ESA is working with an industrial network of several hundred companies in 13 European countries, led by prime contractor ArianeGroup.

France’s space agency, CNES, is preparing the Ariane 6 launch facilities at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.