Ariane 6 stands tall for launch

Date: Tue, May 07, 2024 | 06:30 - 06:33 GMT | 08:30 - 08:33 CEST

Replay: Tue, May 07, 2024 | 15:00 - 15:03 GMT | 17:00 - 17:03 CEST

Type: ESA TV Exchange

Format: 16:9

Last week, Ariane 6’s central core – the main body of the rocket – was stood tall at the launch zone and connected to its two solid-fuel boosters. This exciting moment means only one thing: it’s the start of the first launch campaign.

The main stage and upper stage make up the core stage, and they were autonomously driven at 3 km/h from the rocket assembly building to the launch pad, 800 m away. Then lifted by a crane, the Ariane 6 core was stood upright on the launch table.

The two boosters were transported to the launch pad on a specially designed truck and then configured with the rocket body, now holding it upright.

Ariane 6 is due to launch in summer 2024. The heavy-lift rocket will inaugurate a new era of autonomous European space transportation, powering Europe into space to realise its ambitions on the world stage. It will lift off from a modern launch complex at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, carrying with it not just a variety of spacecraft, but also European goals for prosperity and autonomy.

More information at: Ariane 6

Preview and download:
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2024/05/Ariane_6_stands_tall_for_launch