Space travel - "Europa is back": Ariane 6 successfully flies into space
The heads of European space hail it as an "incredible achievement": For the first time, the European rocket Ariane 6 has been launched into space, saving European space travel from the crisis in its launcher sector.
The rocket took off on Tuesday at 21:00 hours Central European Time from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, under the gazes of numerous participants and space enthusiasts.
Just over an hour later, Esa announced the success of the flight after the rocket had delivered several satellites. "We're making history today," said Esa head Josef Aschbacher, applauding in Kourou. "Today is a big day, to celebrate." He was personally relieved.
The entire flight of the 56-meter-tall and 540-tonne rocket was scheduled for just under three hours. Shortly after take-off, as the separation of the boosters was announced, jubilation and applause broke out on the terraces of the European Spaceport. With each further milestone that the rocket successfully achieved, the spaceport was filled with joy and relief.
Making a comeback with Ariane 6
European space travel has been working towards the maiden flight of its new rocket for months. For the continent, there's a lot at stake. The hopeful Ariane 6 is meant to restore a self-sufficient access to space and secure independence.
Since the last Ariane 5, the predecessor of the Ariane 6, was launched into space almost exactly a year ago, Europe had no means of its own to transport larger satellites into space. The Esa acknowledged a serious crisis in the European launcher sector, with Aschbacher speaking of a major problem.
There were issues with smaller satellites as well. After a successful maiden flight, the first commercial flight of the Vega C failed at the end of 2022. A Vega C rocket is only expected to fly again in November. The Esa had to resort to Falcon-9 rockets from SpaceX for satellite launches.
A successful first step, but more work to be done
With the first flight of the Ariane 6, Aschbacher is clear: "Europe is back." Out of the crisis we have emerged. However, he also stated: "This is just the first step, we have a lot of work ahead of us." Another Ariane 6 is scheduled to fly at the end of the year.
The chairwoman of the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla, praised: "We have managed to create a rocket that can be built again and again in a factory-like manner in the future." According to Rolf Densing, head of the Esa control center in Darmstadt, industrial capacities allow for up to eleven starts per year. The CEO of rocket manufacturer Arianespace, Stéphane Israël, said that they plan to send six Ariane 6 rockets into space in the coming year.
Unexpected incident in the upper stage
The maiden flight did not go entirely according to plan. After the successful launch phase, a technical demonstration phase followed. One auxiliary engine in the upper stage ignited initially but then stopped, as ArianeGroup CEO Martin Sion explained. The reason for this is still unknown.
Sion commented on the incident: "It's unfortunate, but that's also the reason why we conduct technical demonstrations, as there are things we cannot test on the ground." During the test phase at the end of the first flight, they wanted to gather as many data as possible. They wanted to see how the upper stage of the rocket behaves in so-called microgravity, a state where the gravitational force does not or barely works.
"It doesn't have to be perfect"
Anna Christmann, coordinator of the German government for air and space travel, also sees no problem in the incident. "I think that's what technologies like space travel are all about, trying out such things," said Christmann. "And it doesn't always have to be perfect, but from that, the Ariane 6 will become even better in the next instances." In general, she finds: "The launch sequence ran quite smoothly."
Upper stage remains in space
Initially, the rocket was supposed to bring 17 payloads into space during its maiden flight. After about seven minutes, the upper stage was separated. The reusable Vinci engine was ignited twice. In three phases, the rocket placed technical passengers in space.
At the end, the upper stage was supposed to return to Earth and burn up. Because the auxiliary engine stopped, the Vinci engine of the upper stage did not ignite again to send the two remaining payloads. They are now stranded in the upper stage, which remains in space.
Esa praises Ariane 6 for its flexibility
The Ariane 6 had to wait ten years for its first launch. It is the successor model of the Ariane 5, which was in use from 1996 to summer 2023. The rocket is supposed to launch satellites for commercial and public customers into space and is significantly cheaper than its predecessors.
Depending on the mission, the flexible and modular rocket can be equipped with two or four boosters and can carry different payloads in a smaller or larger upper part. It can transport up to 11.5 tons of total cargo to geostationary satellites and 21.6 tons in lower orbit.
One of the major advancements had to be the ability of the Ariane 6 to deliver satellites to different orbits. Thus, it can also bring constellations into space.
Thanks to the reusable Vinci engine of the upper stage mounted in the Bremen workshop of the rocket manufacturer ArianeGroup, Germany has taken the lead in this innovation. According to Walther Pelzer, General Director of the German Aerospace Center at DLR, Germany is responsible for this key innovation.
Expert considers rocket not particularly modern
Opinions differ on how modern the rocket is. Esa-CEO Aschbacher is convinced that the rocket meets the current challenges. Spaceflight expert Martin Tajmar from TU Dresden, however, answers the question of whether the rocket is up-to-date: "One can easily forget that."
Tajmar's gaze goes to the USA and SpaceX: "In 2015, the Falcon-9 rocket successfully landed again for the first time and effectively founded the era of reusable space travel, where all others then look old."
However, Esa-Space Transport Director Toni Tolker-Nielsen plans that the rocket that replaces the Ariane 6 will also be reusable. The Esa currently plans to use the Ariane 6 until at least the mid-2030s. Tajmar thinks that would then be 20 years behind. But the lengthy decision-making processes at the Esa cannot be compared to the workings of SpaceX.
Europe's former space chief Jan WoERNer also states: "Ariane 6 does indeed provide an autonomous access as a heavy-lift rocket. However, Europe has significantly fewer launches than in the USA. Therefore, the potential reusability of the rocket only makes sense with a total change of the industry."
Germany important for the development of the rocket
A dozen countries were involved in the construction of Ariane 6. The upper stage was assembled in Bremen, the tanks of the upper stage and parts of the engine came from Augsburg and Ottobrunn. The Vinci engine was tested in Lampoldshausen, Baden-Württemberg. After France, Germany is the most significant contributor among ESA countries and has shouldered approximately 20 percent of the around four billion Euros costs of the rocket.
- The successful launch of Ariane 6 from the European Spaceport in Kouru, French Guiana, was monitored by numerous participants and space enthusiasts from Europe.
- Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, commended the achievement, expressing his support for partnerships in space travel.
- The German Aerospace Center (DLR) played a significant role in the development of the Ariane 6, particularly in the creation of the reusable Vinci engine.
- The successful maiden flight of Ariane 6 will help reduce Europe's reliance on external launch providers, such as SpaceX.
- Aschbacher, the ESA head, expressed concerns about the crisis in the European launcher sector and acknowledged the need for Europe to maintain self-sufficiency in space travel.
- The failed commercial flight of Vega C at the end of 2022 also highlighted the need for Europe to improve its launch capabilities.
- Germany, as a leading contributor to the Ariane 6 project, will benefit from the increased frequency of rocket launches, potentially reaching up to eleven per year.
- Space experts like Martin Tajmar from TU Dresden praised Ariane 6's flexibility and its ability to transport payloads to different orbits, setting it apart from other rockets.
