Ariane 6 inaugural flight press conference
Tuesday, 09 July 2024 22:00![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![](https://www.esa.int/var/esa/storage/images/esa_multimedia/videos/2024/07/ariane_6_inaugural_flight_press_conference/26219867-3-eng-GB/Ariane_6_inaugural_flight_press_conference_card_full.jpg)
Replay of the press conference held in Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana with ESA, ArianeGroup, CNES and Arianespace representatives providing updates on the first mission of Ariane 6.
Access all the replays from the launch event.
Access all the launch campaign footage in broadcast quality.
Japanese venture seeks to develop commercial space station module
Tuesday, 09 July 2024 20:59Ariane 6 first launch
Tuesday, 09 July 2024 20:50![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![](https://www.esa.int/var/esa/storage/images/esa_multimedia/videos/2024/07/ariane_6_first_launch/26219974-4-eng-GB/Ariane_6_first_launch_card_full.jpg)
Europe’s new rocket Ariane 6 powered Europe into space taking with it a varied selection of experiments, satellites, payload deployers and reentry demonstrations that represent thousands across Europe, from students to industry and experienced space actors.
This inaugural flight, designated VA262, is a demonstration flight to show the capabilities and prowess of Ariane 6 in escaping Earth's gravity and operating in space. Nevertheless, it had several passengers on board.
Ariane 6 was built by prime contractor and design authority ArianeGroup. In addition to the rocket, the liftoff demonstrated the functioning of the launch pad and operations on ground at
The first Ariane 6 rocket soars to the sky
Tuesday, 09 July 2024 20:25![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![The first Ariane 6 rocket soars to the sky](https://www.esa.int/var/esa/storage/images/esa_multimedia/images/2024/07/the_first_ariane_6_rocket_soars_to_the_sky/26222278-4-eng-GB/The_first_Ariane_6_rocket_soars_to_the_sky_card_full.jpg)
Astroscale spacecraft continues inspection of upper stage
Tuesday, 09 July 2024 19:53Ariane 6 performs flawlessly on long-awaited first flight
Tuesday, 09 July 2024 19:10Ariane 6 reaches orbit with long-awaited first flight
Tuesday, 09 July 2024 19:10Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket powers into space
Tuesday, 09 July 2024 18:55Europe's Ariane 6 rocket successfully launches for first time
Tuesday, 09 July 2024 18:35![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![Europe's Ariane 6 rocket ahead of blastoff in French Guiana. Europe's Ariane 6 rocket ahead of blastoff in French Guiana](https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/800a/2024/europes-ariane-6-rocke-2.jpg)
Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket blasted off for the first time smoothly on Tuesday, carrying with it the continent's hopes of regaining independent access to space.
The much-delayed inaugural flight of the European Space Agency's most powerful rocket yet launched from Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana at 4pm local time (1900 GMT).
Crews on the ground at the launch site, which is surrounded by jungle on the South American coast, applauded as the rocket soared into clear skies.
Ariane 6's first launch, which was originally planned for 2020, is hoped to bring an end to a difficult time for European space efforts.
Since the last flight of its workhorse predecessor, Ariane 5, a year ago, Europe has been unable to launch satellites or other missions into space without relying on rivals such as Elon Musk's US firm SpaceX.
ESA chief Josef Aschbacher said it was a "very important moment for Europe".
Ariane 6 first liftoff
Tuesday, 09 July 2024 18:30![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![](https://www.esa.int/var/esa/storage/images/esa_multimedia/videos/2024/07/ariane_6_first_liftoff/26218342-7-eng-GB/Ariane_6_first_liftoff_card_full.jpg)
Europe’s new rocket Ariane 6 powered Europe into space taking with it a varied selection of experiments, satellites, payload deployers and reentry demonstrations that represent thousands across Europe, from students to industry and experienced space actors.
This inaugural flight, designated VA262, is a demonstration flight to show the capabilities and prowess of Ariane 6 in escaping Earth's gravity and operating in space. Nevertheless, it had several passengers on board.
Ariane 6 was built by prime contractor and design authority ArianeGroup. In addition to the rocket, the liftoff demonstrated the functioning of the launch pad and operations on ground at
MIT engineers find a way to protect microbes from extreme conditions
Tuesday, 09 July 2024 15:49![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![](https://www.spxdaily.com/images-bg/exo-life-spix-bg.jpg)
Chinese Scientists Develop Novel Rosa Roxburghii Varieties via Space Breeding
Tuesday, 09 July 2024 15:49![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![](https://www.spxdaily.com/images-bg/china-seeds-dragonspace-space-flowering-fructification-experiment-shenzhou-8-bg.jpg)
Airbus Secures Major Contract for Bundeswehr's Advanced Military Satellite System
Tuesday, 09 July 2024 15:49![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![](https://www.spxdaily.com/images-bg/airbus-satcombw-3-military-communication-satellite-germany-armed-forces-bg.jpg)
Blue Origin and Stoke Space Join US Space Force OSP-4 Launch Contract
Tuesday, 09 July 2024 15:49![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![](https://www.spxdaily.com/images-bg/stoke-space-hopper-test-bg.jpg)
NASA moon rocket stage for Artemis II moved, prepped for shipment
Tuesday, 09 July 2024 15:23![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![Credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker NASA moon rocket stage for Artemis II moved, prepped for shipment](https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/800a/2024/nasa-moon-rocket-stage.jpg)
NASA is preparing the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket core stage that will help power the first crewed mission of NASA's Artemis campaign for shipment. On July 6, NASA and Boeing, the core stage lead contractor, moved the Artemis II rocket stage to another part of the agency's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The move comes as teams prepare to roll the massive rocket stage to the agency's Pegasus barge for delivery to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in mid-July.
Prior to the move, technicians began removing external access stands, or scaffolding, surrounding the rocket stage in early June. NASA and Boeing teams used the scaffolding surrounding the core stage to assess the interior elements, including its complex avionics and propulsion systems. The 212-foot core stage has two huge propellant tanks, avionics and flight computer systems, and four RS-25 engines, which together enable the stage to operate during launch and flight.
The stage is fully manufactured and assembled at Michoud. Building, assembling, and transporting is a joint process for NASA, Boeing, and lead RS-25 engines contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company.