Ariane 6
New launch vehicles inch towards the pad
Several new launch vehicles, some years behind their original schedules, are now expected to make their inaugural launches within the next year.
ESA continues talks with NASA on ExoMars cooperation
The European Space Agency is continuing discussions with NASA on how the agencies can work together to revive ESA’s ExoMars mission after ending cooperation with Russia.
Amazon launch contracts drive changes to launch vehicle production
United Launch Alliance is planning major production improvements for its Vulcan rocket while Arianespace will increase the performance of its Ariane 6 to meet the demands of their new Amazon contracts for Project Kuiper.
Arianespace and SpaceX work to adjust launch manifests
Arianespace says it is working to remanifest payloads that were to launch on Soyuz rockets while SpaceX says it’s finding ways to accommodate new customers on its vehicles.
ESA weighs options for replacing Soyuz launches
The European Space Agency is looking at options for launching missions that were to fly on Russia’s Soyuz rocket, including both non-European rockets and early use of the Ariane 6.
ESA suspends work with Russia on ExoMars mission
ESA has formally halted plans to launch its ExoMars mission on a Russian rocket in September in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
ExoMars on schedule for September launch
After missing its initial launch window in 2020 in part because of the pandemic, the European Space Agency’s ExoMars mission is on schedule for a launch in September.
Arianespace looks to transitions of vehicles and business in 2022
After its most active year in two decades capped by the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope for NASA, Arianespace is heading into a period of transition in 2022 marked by the introduction of new vehicles and a changing mix of customers.
New launch vehicles face schedule pressure
Executives of two launch companies insisted their vehicles will be ready for their inaugural flights in 2022 while a third acknowledged their new vehicle’s first flight will likely slip beyond the end of next year.
The Ariane 6 countdown: Q&A with ArianeGroup civil program manager Franck Huiban
SpaceNews spoke with Franck Huiban, who leads ArianeGroup’s Ariane 6 program, about how it is adapting Ariane 6 for this fast-evolving market as the pandemic throws a wrench into the works.
Arianespace to launch Australian Optus-11 on Ariane 6
Arianespace has secured a contract with Australian operator SingTel Optus to launch the Optus-11 communications satellite using Ariane 6 in 2023.
Europe considering concepts for human spaceflight
A bumper crop of applications for the European Space Agency’s astronaut corps is providing a boost to proposals for Europe to develop its own human spaceflight capability.
Europe proposes launcher alliance
The European Union is proposing a “launcher alliance” involving companies and governments to develop the next generation of European launch vehicles, although some European startups are skeptical of those plans.
Arianespace seeks greater support from European governments
The head of Arianespace asked European governments to provide his company with more support in order to balance what he called government support of American competitors “with no precedent.”
New ESA director general sees EU relations and commercialization as priorities
The next leader of the European Space Agency says his top priorities are to improve the agency’s relationship with the European Union and support commercial space activities in Europe.
Europe’s P120C booster completes third and final static fire test
A solid rocket booster designed for Europe's next-generation Ariane 6 and Vega C launch vehicles completed a third and final static fire test Oct 7.
Arianespace’s revised OneWeb contract drops Ariane 6, two Soyuz launches
Arianespace and OneWeb on Sept. 21 announced a revised launch contract that covers OneWeb’s constellation deployment with three fewer launches than originally planned.
Eumetsat shifts two tardy satellites to Ariane 6
Program delays have forced Eumetsat to reserve a pair of Ariane 6 rockets for two European weather satellites originally anticipated to launch on Ariane 5 rockets.
ESA confirms Ariane 6 delay to 2021
Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket won’t launch until the second half of 2021, a delay of at least six months if not more, the European Space Agency confirmed July 9.
Ariane 6 maiden flight likely slipping to 2021
The inaugural launch of Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket appears all but certain to slip into 2021 because of development delays the European Space Agency attributes to the coronavirus pandemic.
