Ariane 6: How to follow the first rocket launch
Europe's new heavy-lift rocket takes off on its maiden flight. It will take off from French Guiana on the evening of July 9. The flight will be broadcast live.
Ready for take-off: Ariane 6 is due to take off on its maiden flight on Tuesday evening Central European Time.
(Image: ESA)
Europe's new heavy launcher, Ariane 6, is to make its maiden flight on the evening of July 9. According to the European Space Agency (ESA), the launch window is from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. local time at the European spaceport in French Guiana. In Germany, this is from 8 p.m. to midnight.
Ariane 6 is urgently awaited by the ESA. Its predecessor, Ariane 5, which was first launched in 1996, had its last mission in July 2023. The transition was actually supposed to be smooth. Then Ariane 6 was delayed for several years. "This is a great moment for Europe, because the rocket will ensure our guaranteed, autonomous access to space," says ESA, rejoicing - most recently it had to rely on rocket material from the US company SpaceX. Assembly of the Ariane 6 began at the spaceport back in April.
Live broadcast on the net
Anyone wishing to follow the rocket launch can watch it live on ESAWebTV. The broadcast will be commentated in English by Katy Haswell and in German by Tina Büchner da Costa, ESA engineer for the Ariane 6 launch system.
Empfohlener redaktioneller Inhalt
Mit Ihrer Zustimmmung wird hier ein externes YouTube-Video (Google Ireland Limited) geladen.
Ich bin damit einverstanden, dass mir externe Inhalte angezeigt werden. Damit können personenbezogene Daten an Drittplattformen (Google Ireland Limited) übermittelt werden. Mehr dazu in unserer Datenschutzerklärung.
Flight in three phases
According to ESA, the launch will be divided into three phases. In the first, the rocket is propelled into orbit. The thrust will come from the main stage engine, Vulcain 2.1, together with the power of two P120C boosters. Phase 1 also includes the separation of the main stage from the upper stage and the first ignition of the upper stage's Vinci engine, which will place the rocket and its payload in an elliptical orbit above the Earth.
In phase 2, a new function will be tested, the re-ignition of the upper stage. This should cause the rocket's orbit to change from an elliptical to a circular one. The challenge here is to place the floating fuel using an auxiliary drive so that the engine can ignite again. The launch of several satellites will then begin.
Phase 3 is primarily used for technical testing and deorbiting, which should end with burning up in the atmosphere. However, two capsules are expected to survive re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.
Not competitive?
Despite all the joy in Europe, some experts are observing the developments surrounding Ariane 6 with scepticism: Europe should have opted for a reusable system instead of promoting the economy for the supplier companies, some criticize. Europe has not recognized the signs of the times and cannot compete with private companies such as SpaceX, others insisted. Their rockets are more powerful and cheaper. SpaceX is currently developing the Starship, a rocket that could put Ariane 6 in the shade.
(mki)
