A timelapse of the main stage for the first Ariane 6 rocket as it left the ArianeGroup assembly hall in Les Mureaux, France, on 6 February 2024.

The main stage was constructed in Les Mureaux, France, at ArianeGroup’s assembly hall. After liftoff the main stage for Ariane 6 will fire its Vulcain 2.1 engine and provide steering for eight minutes on the rocket’s ascent into space.

The upper and main stage form the central core of Ariane 6 and are transported to Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana by ship. The two stages are connected horizontally at before being transport

A timelapse of the upper stage for the first Ariane 6 rocket as it left the ArianeGroup assembly hall in Bremen, Germany on 31 January 2024.

The upper stages for Ariane 6 are assembled in Bremen where the fuel tanks, Vinci engine and unique Auxiliary Power Unit are assembled to provide fuel, pressure, electricity and propulsion to put satellites into their required orbit.

The upper and main stage form the central core of Ariane 6 and are transported to Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana by ship. The two stages are connected horizontally at before being transport the final few

The upper stage and main stage for the first Ariane 6 launch arrived at the port of Pariacabo in Kourou, French Guiana on the novel ship, Canopée (canopy in French) on 22 February 2024. It is the first custom-built transporter to use sails, reducing emissions and saving on fuel by up to 30%, and on this trip, it has travelled for 10 days covering over 7000 km.

The hybrid-propulsion vessel is 121 m long and has 37 m tall sails. Canopée rotates continuously between stop-offs to load each Ariane 6 stage and other parts and ship them across

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ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen explains how two experiments involving virtual reality makes on International Space Station. The first is Virtual Assistance Mental Balance (VAMB) where Andreas gets to enjoy a calm setting in nature that helps him relax. The second one is VR for Exercise, where he cycles on the Space Station’s exercise bike and through different bike routes in Denmark on the VR headset, which has quickly become a favourite for Andreas.

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