Video: 01:00:57

Watch the replay of the media briefing and the question-and-answer session outlining the progress achieved and the upcoming steps in the Ariane 6 development test campaign. Updates are given on tests conducted at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, and at the German Aerospace Center DLR’s technical centre in Lampoldshausen, Germany.

The briefing was held on 4 September 2023 from ESA’s Headquarters in Paris, France. Participants included:

Josef Aschbacher, Director General, ESA

Martin Sion, CEO, ArianeGroup

Philippe Baptiste, Chairman and CEO, CNES

Stéphane Israël, CEO, Arianespace

Toni Tolker-Nielsen, Director of Space Transportation, ESA

Carine Leveau, Director of Space Transportation, CNES

Stefan Schlechtriem, Director of Lampoldshausen,

Take your chance to meet astronauts, view spacecraft and peer behind the scenes of Europe’s space adventure at our ESA Open Day at ESTEC in the Netherlands on Sunday 8 October. Registration is now open.

*Update: The new launch date for XRISM is 08:42 JST / 00:42 BST / 01:42 CEST on 7 September 2023*

The X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) is ready to launch on 7 September 2023 to observe the most energetic objects and events in the cosmos. In doing so, it will unveil the evolution of the Universe and the structure of spacetime.

XRISM is a collaboration between the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and NASA, with significant participation from ESA. The launch will be streamed live in Japanese and English on JAXA’s YouTube channel.

The Ariane 6 Launcher Task Force consists of top management at ESA, the overall Ariane 6 procuring entity and launch system architect, launch base prime contractor and French space agency CNES, launcher system prime contractor ArianeGroup and launch service provider Arianespace. This group reports regularly on progress being made towards inaugural flight of the new Ariane 6 launcher.

The next update is expected in October.

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