New heavy rocket Ariane 6 makes first commercial launch – Europe gains independence in space exploration

On March 6 at 19:24 Moscow time, the newest heavy European rocket Ariane 6 was launched from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana. It successfully completed all stages of the flight program. For Ariane 6, this was the second launch in history and the first commercial one. Together with the new rocket, Europe gained independence in the implementation of space programs – from low orbits to flights to the far corners of the Solar System.

Image source: ESA

The Ariane 6 rocket replaces the aging Ariane 5. The first launch of the new rocket took place in July 2024 and was partially successful: the upper stage failed to ignite the engine for a controlled re-entry into the atmosphere for safe disposal, and the payload demonstrator was also lost. The problems were planned to be fixed by the end of 2024 and then a new launch was carried out, but this was delayed until March 2025.

After the launch was cancelled on March 3 due to the unpreparedness of the ground infrastructure, the launch was postponed for several days and was successfully carried out on March 6, 2025. The rocket took off and, a little over an hour later, placed the payload into an 800-kilometer orbit. The repeated ignitions of the upper stage engines were carried out in accordance with the program, including the launch for the controlled deorbit of the upper stage and its disposal in the dense layers of the atmosphere.

«The first commercial launch of Ariane 6 demonstrates what will become a regular occurrence: several Ariane 6 launches are planned for 2025. The upper stage has also demonstrated its full potential: it is a unique equipment that can ensure the launch of all types of spacecraft into orbit, and also actively avoid becoming space debris, confirming Europe’s commitment to minimizing the pollution of near-Earth space,” the agency said.

The rocket’s payload was the French CSO-3 spy satellite. Its launch completed the formation of a group of three identical devices for the French Air Force. In 2025, the Ariane 6 rocket is scheduled to make four more launches, including one in the maximum configuration – with four side boosters instead of two.