Europe’s new heavy-lift Ariane 6 rocket makes its long-delayed debut today (July 9).
If all goes according to plan, Ariane 6 will lift off from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on Tuesday in a four-hour window at 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT).
You can watch the launch live on Space.com European Space Agency (ESA); Coverage begins 30 minutes prior to departure.
Ariane 6, operated by French company Arianespace on behalf of ESA, will replace the venerable Ariane 5, which was retired last year after nearly three decades of 117 flights.
Ariane 6 has been in development for nearly a decade. It was originally scheduled to debut in 2020, but technical issues and external issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine have pushed the timeline back several times.
Europe has high hopes for the new launcher, which is expected to fly nine to 12 times a year by 2026.
Ariane 6 will “ensure our guaranteed, autonomous access to space — and all of the science, Earth observation, technology development and commercial possibilities,” ESA officials wrote. A preview of the launch release.
“With so many brand-new features for Ariane 6, we can carry more, while statically removing the launcher’s overhead to prevent it. [from] Space is becoming junk,” they added.
Related: In the long run: Europe’s new Ariane 6 rocket debuts on July 9
Ariane 6 will be used Nine cubes Tuesday’s flight into low Earth orbit (LEO), if all goes according to plan. The rocket will also carry out a variety of non-orbital tests, including two reentry capsules that will receive tests by fire as they return to our planet through its thick atmosphere.
As ESA noted in its mission statement, the rocket’s upper stage will return to Earth. But the upper stage does not survive the journey, but rather burns in our air.
