Start of first Ariane 6 launch campaign on the launch pad
29.04.2024
The central core and two boosters of the first flight Ariane 62 launcher are now together on the launch pad at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
Installation of these principal components of Flight Model 1 on the launch pad marks the beginning of a new phase of the inaugural flight launch campaign for the new European launcher.
The transfer and installation operations were carried out between April 24 and 26 under the responsibility of the European Space Agency (ESA) by an integrated ESA–ArianeGroup–CNES team.
In the coming days, the boosters will be connected to the central core. For this, the core will be raised with a lifting beam and the boosters will be moved the last few centimeters into their final positions.
Once the mechanical, fluidic and electrical connections between the central core and the boosters as well as between the launcher and the launch pad are completed, the launcher will receive its upper composite (principally the fairing and the payloads) a few weeks prior to launch.
Stay tuned for more updates on Ariane 6’s progress towards the inaugural flight from the Ariane 6 Task Force (ESA, ArianeGroup, CNES, and Arianespace)!