Bad news for space enthusiasts. The inaugural launch of the new generation Ariane 6 rockets by the European Space Agency (ESA), originally scheduled for 2020, will not take place until 2024 at the earliest, according to a statement made on Tuesday by the agency’s director general, Josef Aschbacher.
In a Twitter post, Aschbacher stated that the ESA, the French space agency CNES, and contractors Ariane Group and Arianespace “confirm that the inaugural launch is now planned for 2024.”
With a three-year delay in their launch plans, the ESA had aimed for the heavy-lift launcher system to be ready for use this year, with commercial operations starting in 2024. However, the program has faced various complications in recent years.
Without Ariane 6 and with the retirement of Ariane 5 already confirmed, SpaceX’s Falcon 9, the aerospace company led by Elon Musk, is the only viable alternative to launch large satellites into orbit, such as Galileo, the European Union’s navigation spacecraft.
Due to the delays of Ariane 6, the European Commission is considering entrusting companies like SpaceX with launching their satellites. However, relying on Musk’s rocket company undermines the European Union’s plans for strategic independence.
SpaceX’s technology, which features partially reusable rockets, also gives them a competitive edge over Ariane 6 even before the European-built system is ready.
In an update on the Ariane 6 program published on Wednesday, the ESA stated that they were unable to complete a short hot-fire test (which simulates the space environment to provide data to operators) of the Ariane’s Vulcain 2.1 engine in an attempt carried out last July. The ESA intends to retry the test on August 29th.
The publication also confirms that the ESA’s provisional plan is to conduct a long-duration firing test of the assembled core stage and engine at the agency’s spaceport in French Guiana on September 26th.
If the tests prove successful, it could be possible to establish a more precise timeline for the rocket system to be ready for its launch next year.
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