First Ariane 6 rocket launched from Kourou in French Guiana

The European Space Agency has announced the successful first launch of its new Ariane 6 rocket from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana.

The agency notes that the rocket's first mission is to carry various equipment and devices, as well as nine small satellites belonging to different universities and space agencies. In addition, it carries two return capsules. The reusable upper stage engine activation system will also be tested during this flight, which will take about three hours. The new system allows the engine to be fired up to four times, not only expanding the rocket's launch capabilities to different orbits, but also returning the stage to Earth immediately after the mission is over.

It is worth noting that the Ariane 6 rocket is a new generation of heavy transport rockets from the Ariane family. This rocket will replace the heavy Ariane 5 rockets, which were used during the years 1996 - 2023, in the coming years. The new rocket is produced in two versions: the light version Ariane 62, equipped with two solid side-mounted accelerators, and capable of carrying up to 5 tons, and the Ariane 64 version, equipped with four accelerators and capable of carrying up to 10.5 tons of cargo into orbit. The rocket that was launched for the first time is the light Ariane 62.

It is noteworthy that the first launch of the Ariane 6 rocket was scheduled for 2020, but the process was repeatedly postponed for various reasons.