The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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Closing the fairing for the first flight of Ariane 6 at the encapsulation hall in Europe's Spaceport, French Guiana, 6 June 2024.
This fairing for Ariane 6 will ensure the cargo is kept at a nice ambient temperature and humidity while also protecting it from the elements. It also provides a sleek aerodynamic shape to help Ariane 6 overcome the atmosphere as it thunders upwards to space. It is 5.4 m wide and 14 m tall and adapted to carry the widest array of space missions.
The fairing consists of two huge half-shells, made in one piece from carbon-glass fibre composite which is ‘cured’ in an industrial oven, reducing cost and speeding up production. Fewer parts allow for horizontal as well as vertical assembly of the closed fairing and the launch vehicle, which is particularly important for Ariane 6.
Ariane 6 is Europe’s new heavy lift launch vehicle replacing its extremely successful predecessor, Ariane 5. Modular and agile, Ariane 6 has a reignitable upper stage allowing it to launch multiple missions on different orbits on a single flight.