Ariane 6 from above in the final hours before liftoff
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Ariane 6 from above in the final hours before liftoff Ariane 6 sees 'first light' as mobile gantry is rolled back before fuelling begins
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Ariane 6 sees 'first light' as mobile gantry is rolled back before fuelling begins Ariane 6 revealed as nine-story mobile building rolls back from the launch pad
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Ariane 6 revealed as nine-story mobile building rolls back from the launch pad Ariane 6 the day of launch
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Ariane 6 the day of launch 
Russia’s nuclear threat to space is worse than a “Cuban Missile Crisis in space”
Countdown to first launch of Europe's Ariane 6 rocket
After four years of delays, Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket is set to blast off for the first time on Tuesday, carrying with it the continent's hopes of regaining independent access to space.
The inaugural flight of the European Space Agency's (ESA) most powerful rocket yet is scheduled to launch from Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana at 3pm local time (1800 GMT).
Since the last flight of the rocket's 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.
So many will be nervously watching the launch, hoping it can bring an end to a difficult era for European space efforts.
Ariane 6 first liftoff
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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
Ariane 6 takes flight
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Ariane 6 launches to the sky on 9 July 2024.
Europe’s newest heavy-lift rocket, it is designed to provide great power and flexibility at a lower cost than its predecessors. The launcher’s configuration – with an upgraded main stage, a choice of either two or four powerful boosters and a new restartable upper stage – will provide Europe with greater efficiency and possibility as it can launch multiple missions into different orbits on a single flight, while its upper stage will deorbit itself at the end of mission.
