Ariane 6’s journey to space begins at sea
13.02.2024
The core stage and the upper stage for the first Ariane 6 flight launcher are on board the Canopéé sailing ship en route for delivery to Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at the end of February.
The cryogenic upper stage, equipped with its Vinci® engine, is integrated at ArianeGroup’s Bremen site in Germany. The cryogenic core stage, equipped with its Vulcain 2.1 engine, is integrated on ArianeGroup’s Les Mureaux site, near Paris in France. After undergoing a series of functional tests at the end of the integration procedures, the two stages were taken to the ports of Bremen, on February 5, and Le Havre, on February 10, respectively. On board Canopée, they will reach the port of Pariacabo in Kourou at the end of February.
The stages will then be off-loaded and transferred to the Launcher Assembly Building (BAL) on the ELA4 launch complex. There, they will be assembled together by the ArianeGroup teams to constitute the launcher’s central core. This will then be transferred from the BAL to the launch pad.