Thursday, March 06, 2025

Europe's Ariane 6 commercial rocket launch today boosts Europe's access to space, cuts SpaceX reliance

EUROPE moves to cut SpaceX reliance with first commercial launch of Ariane 6 today carrying French military observation satellite. The launch bolsters Europe's access to space. See video and two reports below.


Report from Reuters online

By Tim Hepher; Editing by Toby Chopra

Published 6 March 2025 - full copy:

Europe's Ariane 6 stages first commercial launch


(Reuters) - Europe's newest uncrewed heavy launcher blasted off on a delayed mission to carry a French military observation satellite towards orbit on Thursday in its first commercially operational launch.


The Ariane 6 rocket lifted from Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at 1:24 p.m. local time (1624 GMT), live webcast images showed, following two earlier postponements.


View original: 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/europes-ariane-6-stages-first-163328647.html

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Report from The Next Web online

Published 6 March 2025 - excerpt:

Europe moves to cut SpaceX reliance with Ariane 6 launch today


The first commercial launch of Ariane 6 bolsters Europe's access to space


Caption: "New launch date for CSO-3. The investigations carried out on the ground means interfacing with the launcher, following the launch attempt on March 3, now enable Arianespace to target a launch on March 6, 2025, at 1:24 p.m. local time in Kourou, French Guiana (4:24 p.m. UTC, 5:24 p.m. CET). Ariane 6 and its passenger, the CSO-3 satellite, are in stable and safe conditions."


Since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, Europe has been unable to access Soyuz rockets. Meanwhile, the retirement of the Ariane 5 in 2023 and delays to the new Vega-C small-launch vehicle left the continent without independent access to space. Europe was forced to rely on Elon Musk’s SpaceX for over a year. 


Read more: https://thenextweb.com/news/europe-to-cut-spacex-reliance-with-ariane-6-launch

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