Ariane 6
Arianespace says full Ariane 6 production held up by missing government contracts
With the maiden flight of the Ariane 6 now 18 months away (in July 2020), Arianespace CEO Stéphane Israël said the company had anticipated signing a manufacturing contract with ArianeGroup in the second part of last year to begin production beyond the first rocket.
European Space Agency leaders expect a challenging year ahead
Amid difficulties for the European launch industry, and with Brexit looming on the horizon, European Space Agency executives face a challenging year ahead.
Arianespace targets 12 launches this year, more counting OneWeb, Vega C debut
European launch provider Arianespace is planning to conduct a record number of Vega launches this year, and, if OneWeb is ready, a return to launching from Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
ArianeGroup to shed 2,300 employees as Ariane 6 nears completion
"The end of the development of Ariane 6 and the need to increase competitiveness in the European rocket launch business compel ArianeGroup to reduce its capacity by the equivalent of 2,300 full-time jobs by 2022," the company said in a statement.
Eutelsat becomes first Ariane 6 commercial customer with five-satellite launch contract
Fleet operator Eutelsat of Paris signed a contract with Arianespace to launch five satellites on the future Ariane 6 rocket by 2027.
ArianeGroup supplier GKN to 3D print turbines for reusable Prometheus engines
European rocket builder ArianeGroup, the company leading development and production of the Ariane 5 and upcoming Ariane 6 rockets, on Sept. 4 awarded a contract to a Swedish supplier for a reusable engine program.
Ariane 6 is nearing completion, but Europe’s work is far from over
ESA is pushing European industry to continue innovating and finding efficiencies even after Vega C’s introduction in 2019 and Ariane 6’s debut in 2020.
European solid rocket passes key test
A solid rocket booster designed for both the Ariane 6 and Vega C next-generation launchers completed a successful test firing Monday, clearing a hurdle for the maiden flights of both vehicles.
Avanti CTO Retiring in June
Bestwick will be the second major executive departure for Avanti in less than a year. David Williams, chief executive and fellow co-founder, left the company in August 2017.
Germany trades P120 booster production for Ariane 6 turbo pumps, upper stage carbon fiber research
European Space Agency member states have agreed to keep all production of P120 solid rocket boosters in Italy instead of opening a second production line in Germany.
Ariane 5 down to two dozen launches before Ariane 6 takes over
European launch provider Arianespace expects to conduct just 23 more Ariane 5 launches before the next-generation Ariane 6 becomes its primary rocket.
ArianeGroup CFO Pierre Godart on Ariane 6 cost savings, micro launchers and reusability
Ariane 5 is one of the world’s most reliable launcher but its makers aren’t resting on their laurels. Following the 2015 creation of Airbus Safran Launchers, a joint venture between the two main contributors to the European rocket program, the company renamed itself to ArianeGroup and embarked on a journey through the quickly changing space industry landscape.
Ariane 6 could use reusable Prometheus engine, designer says
Europe’s upcoming Ariane 6 rocket, though designed to be expendable, could one day sport a reusable engine, according to Patrick Bonguet, head of the Ariane 6 program at ArianeGroup.
ESA signs up as Ariane 6 inaugural customer with two Galileo missions
The European Space Agency stepped up to be Arianespace’s first customer for the next-generation Ariane 6 rocket, while keeping Soyuz as a backup option.
Eutelsat awards three launches to Arianespace, hints at Ariane 6 interest
Fresh off the successful launch of an all-electric satellite on an Ariane 5 rocket, satellite fleet operator Eutelsat announced June 2 a commitment to launch three more satellites with Arianespace and signaled an early interest in using the next-generation Ariane 6.
OHB, still growing, focused on German, European government hardware programs
Satellite and rocket hardware builder OHB of Germany on Nov. 16 said delays in its supply chain had put pressure on its revenue in recent months but that the company’s full-year profitability would be unaffected.
