Artist’s depiction of the Ariane 6 rocket
ESA-D. DUCROSS
What is Arian 6?
The Ariane 6 is the latest model in Europe’s own satellite launch vehicle, the Ariane rocket line. The project dates back to a proposal in 1973, and the Ariane 1 rocket’s maiden flight took place six years later in 1979.
The last version to fly was Ariane 5, which completed 112 successful missions out of 117 launch attempts, including the James Webb Space Telescope and the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer. But it was retired last year in favor of the Ariane 6, which has a lower expected launch cost.
With the loss of Ariane 5 and the invasion of Ukraine, which led to a breakdown in relations with Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, Europe temporarily lost its direct means of launching satellites and was forced to turn to the commercial sector.
The ultimate idea is that the rocket will not only perform all of these government launches in the future, but also provide its own commercial launch service. It already has a launch order from Amazon. Kuiper Internet Satellite.
What is the size of the Ariane 6?
Ariane 6 is 63 meters tall and 5.4 meters in diameter and can launch up to 21,650 kilograms into low Earth orbit. While this is not as powerful as NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS), China’s Long March 10, or SpaceX’s Starship, it can still place a variety of spy, weather, and GPS satellites into orbit.
The Ariane 6’s main advantage is not its payload, but its lower cost and simpler production. Aerospace company ArianeGroup designed it to be easier and faster to build and launch than its predecessors, allowing ESA to launch it as often as once a month if needed.
The rocket was originally scheduled to fly in 2020, but has been delayed several times. These delays, along with the falling cost of using reusable rockets like those operated by SpaceX, have led Europe to look elsewhere for launch capabilities. The European Meteorological Satellite Agency recently SpaceX wins launch contract It signed a European contract last year rather than opting for the Ariane 6. Galileo navigation satellite enters orbit I also went to SpaceX.
When is the Ariane 6 launch and how can I watch it?
The launch from the ESA site in French Guiana is scheduled for 9 July, with a time slot from 7pm to 11pm BST. ESA Live Stream the LaunchIt starts 30 minutes before takeoff and can be streamed here: News Scientist.com.
What happens during the launch process?
Ariane 6 lifts off with its main engine, Vulcain 2.1, and two disposable boosters. These boosters, like the first stage, are then jettisoned by the upper stage’s Vinci engines, which propel it into an elliptical orbit 300x700km above Earth. Later, the Vinci engines are reignited, putting the upper stage into a circular orbit, and Ariane releases its eight satellites, after which the upper stage burns up in the atmosphere. Two small reentry capsules safely return it to Earth.
What comes after Ariane 6?
A successor to the Ariane 6 is already in development, and it will break the convention of sequential numbering of its predecessors. Known as Ariane Next, it will be a reusable rocket similar to SpaceX’s Starship. It is expected to launch sometime in the 2030s.
The main criticism of Ariane 6 is that it is not reusable, an approach pioneered by SpaceX and already under development by several other companies. This will not be fixed in Europe until Next enters service.
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