N° 35–2024: Media invitation: Follow the Ariane 6 inaugural launch at ESA HQ, Paris, or in Berlin
27 June 2024
Journalists are invited to attend the inaugural launch of Ariane 6 at ESA's Paris HQ (Nikis) or at the Bremen Representation in Berlin on the evening of Tuesday 9 July, followed by a reception.
The events will feature opening addresses and commentary from ESA experts, key stakeholders, high-level representatives from international space agencies, as well as leading space manufacturers and operators.
Ariane 6 launch event in Paris
Date: Tuesday, 9 July 2024, 18:30 CEST.
ESA's Paris HQ (Nikis) 8-10 Rue Mario Nikis, 75738 Paris
Programme:
18:30 (CEST) Doors open
19:00 (CEST) Opening addresses and introduction to Ariane 6
19:30 (CEST) Start of the live broadcast from Europe's spaceport in Kourou (French Guiana).
20:00 – 23:00 (CEST) Launch window of the new Ariane 6 heavy-lift rocket from Kourou, followed by a reception and interview opportunities with participants. A detailed list of ESA representatives and stakeholders will be provided as the launch date nears.
For potential delays or updates, please monitor X @ESA and @ESA_transport #Ariane6 and check for email notifications from ESA Media Relations.
Ariane 6 launch event in Berlin
Date: Tuesday, 9 July 2024, 19:20 CEST
Representation of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen
Hiroshimastraße 24, 10785 Berlin, DE
Programme:
From 18:30 (CEST) Admission/registration/preliminary talks for the media
19:20 (CEST) Stage programme with statements by:
- State Councillor Kai Stührenberg, Free Hanseatic City of Bremen
- Rolf Densing, Director for Operations, European Space Agency (ESA)
- Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla, Chairwoman of the Executive Board, German Aerospace Centre (DLR)
- Bernhard Kluttig, Head of the Industrial Policy Department, Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK)
- H.E. François Delattre, French Ambassador to Germany
From 20:00 (CEST) The launch of the new Ariane 6 heavy-lift rocket from Europe's spaceport in Kourou will be broadcast live in the hall. Experts in the hall will comment on the launch and the flight in German.
The programme will be complemented by panel rounds with experts from ESA, DLR, ArianeGroup and others on Europe's rocket systems, German contributions to Ariane 6, payloads on board the first flight, industrial policy, etc.
Panel round 1:
- Ruedeger Albat, ESA, former Ariane programme manager
- Philip Kausche, German Space Agency at DLR, Launch Systems Department
- Pierre Godart, CEO ArianeGroup GmbH
Panel round 2:
- Rolf Densing, ESA Director for Operations, ESA/ESOC in Darmstadt
- Representatives of payloads on board the Ariane 6 first flight (tbd)
21:10 (CEST) Summary and end of the local stage programme
Reception and opportunity for further discussions with the panelists.
23:00 (CEST) Press conference live from Kourou via ESA TV livestream
Experts will also be available for individual interviews.
Registration:
Please express interest for any of the above events by 5 July at 17:00 CEST by selecting and completing the relevant form at https://blogs.esa.int/forms/esa-media-briefing-form
Contacts
ESA Media Relations office: media@esa.int
Camille Bello camille.bello@ext.esa.int (Paris event)
Simona Nichiteanu simona.nichiteanu@ext.esa.int (Paris event)
Martin Fleischmann, DLR Communications: martin.fleischmann@dlr.de (Berlin event)
Bernhard von Weyhe bernhard.von.weyhe@esa.int (Berlin event)
Cathrin Wicke cathrin.wicke@esa.int (Berlin event)
Further information
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.
More information about Ariane 6 available in the media kit
Images
ESA – Ariane 6 images
ESA's Photo Library for Professionals
Terms and conditions for using ESA images
For questions or more information related to ESA images, please contact directly spaceinimages@esa.int.
Videos
ESA – Ariane 6 videos
ESA's Video Library for Professionals
Terms and conditions for using ESA videos
For questions or more information related to ESA videos, please contact directly spaceinvideos@esa.int.
Social media
Follow ESA on:
X: @esa, @ESA_Transport
Instagram: Europeanspaceagency
Facebook: EuropeanSpaceAgency
YouTube: ESA
LinkedIn: European Space Agency - ESA
Pinterest: European Space Agency - ESA
About the European Space Agency
The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe’s gateway to space.
ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
ESA has 22 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia are Associate Members.
ESA has established formal cooperation with four Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.
By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.
Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int