![]() | |
![]() Ariane 62 (left) and Ariane 64 (right) | |
Function | |
---|---|
Manufacturer | ArianeGroup |
Country of origin | European multi-national[a] |
Project cost | €3.6 billion[1] |
Cost per launch | |
Size | |
Height | 63 m (207 ft) |
Diameter | 5.4 m (18 ft) |
Mass |
|
Stages | 2 |
Capacity | |
Payload to LEO | |
Mass | |
Payload to GTO | |
Orbital inclination | 6° |
Mass | |
Payload to GEO | |
Orbital inclination | 0° |
Mass | A64: 5,000 kg (11,000 lb)[3] |
Payload to SSO | |
Orbital inclination | 97.4° |
Mass | |
Payload to LTO | |
Orbital inclination | 97.4° |
Mass | |
Associated rockets | |
Family | Ariane |
Comparable | Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, Terran R, H3, Vulcan Centaur |
Launch history | |
Status | Active |
Launch sites | Guiana Space Centre, ELA-4 |
Total launches | 1 |
Partial failure(s) | 1 (VA262) |
First flight | 9 July 2024[4] |
Boosters – P120C | |
No. boosters | 2 or 4 |
Diameter | 3 m (9.8 ft) |
Propellant mass | 142,000 kg (313,000 lb) |
Maximum thrust | 3,500 kN (790,000 lbf) each |
Total thrust |
|
Burn time | 130 seconds |
Propellant | HTPB / AP / Al |
First stage | |
Diameter | 5.4 m (18 ft) |
Propellant mass | 140,000 kg (310,000 lb) |
Powered by | 1 × Vulcain 2.1 |
Maximum thrust | 1,370 kN (310,000 lbf) |
Burn time | 468 seconds |
Propellant | LOX / LH2 |
Second stage | |
Diameter | 5.4 m (18 ft) |
Propellant mass | 31,000 kg (68,000 lb) |
Powered by | 1 × Vinci |
Maximum thrust | 180 kN (40,000 lbf) |
Burn time | Up to 900 seconds and four burns[5] |
Propellant | LOX / LH2 |
Ariane 6 is a European expendable launch system operated by Arianespace and developed and produced by ArianeGroup on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA). It replaces Ariane 5, as part of the Ariane launch vehicle family.
This two-stage rocket utilizes liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen (hydrolox) engines. The first stage features an upgraded Vulcain engine from Ariane 5, while the second uses the Vinci engine, designed specifically for this rocket. The Ariane 62 variant uses two P120 solid rocket boosters, while Ariane 64 uses four. The P120 booster is shared with Europe's other launch vehicle, Vega C, and is an improved version of the P80 rocket stage used on the original Vega.
Selected in December 2014 over an all-solid-fuel option, Ariane 6 was originally targeted for a 2020 launch. However, the program encountered delays, with the first launch occurring on 9 July 2024.
Ariane 6 was designed to halve launch costs and increase annual capacity from seven to eleven missions compared to its predecessor,[needs update] but the program has faced controversy over high costs and lack of reusability versus competitors' rockets, such as SpaceX's Falcon 9. European officials defend the program, saying it provides crucial independent space access for its member states.
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