#Ariane6 first flight now expected no earlier than "last quarter 2023" according to ESA, ArianeGroup in update to media just now.(Credit: @brickmack)
"Ariane 6 Block II" is the name Arianespace is giving to the upgraded Ariane 6 rocket they're envisioning for the later half of the decade. 20% increase in performance to LEO with new upper stage and solid rocket motors.
Aschbacher notes the Q4 2023 launch target depends on hitting three milestones by Q1:1 - Completion of upper stage hot fire test2 - Start of combined tests in French Guiana3 - Start of launch system qualification review
I'll write an article, but:N° 30–2015: ARIANE 6 AND VEGA C BEGIN DEVELOPMENT12 August 2015Today, ESA signed contracts for the development of the Ariane 6 new‑generation launcher, its launch base and the Vega C evolution of the current ESA small launcher.The contracts, signed at ESA’s Paris Head Office with Airbus Safran Launchers (ASL), France’s CNES space agency and ELV, respectively, cover all development work on Ariane 6 and its launch base for a maiden flight in 2020, and on Vega C for its 2018 debut.“These contracts will allow the development of a family of European launchers, highly competitive in the world market and ensuring autonomous access to space at fully competitive prices for ESA’s Member States,” said Jan Woerner, Director General of ESA. ....
N° 51–2022: Invitation to Media: Ariane 6 Progress and Preparation of Future European Space TransportationQuoteMedia representatives are invited to a press briefing and question-answer session on progress towards first flight of Europe’s new Ariane 6 launch vehicle. From 16.30 CEST on Wednesday, 19 October 2022 at ESA Headquarters Bertrand in Paris, the heads of ESA, ArianeGroup, CNES and Arianespace will describe the Ariane 6 launcher programme’s current status and next steps, and will outline the broader plan for European space transportation in the latter part of this decade.
Media representatives are invited to a press briefing and question-answer session on progress towards first flight of Europe’s new Ariane 6 launch vehicle. From 16.30 CEST on Wednesday, 19 October 2022 at ESA Headquarters Bertrand in Paris, the heads of ESA, ArianeGroup, CNES and Arianespace will describe the Ariane 6 launcher programme’s current status and next steps, and will outline the broader plan for European space transportation in the latter part of this decade.
The new Ariane 6 rocket system will be competitive with Elon Musk’s SpaceX despite it lagging behind on reusable technology, said André-Hubert Roussel, CEO of Ariane Group, which runs the aerospace project.The long-delayed Ariane 6 system should finally launch in the fourth quarter of 2023, and Roussel said that while it won't include such cost-slashing technology as SpaceX it could eventually be possible to carry out a launch every two weeks, though only up to 12 in a full calendar year.“Ariane 6 is the guarantee of autonomous access to space for Europe,” Roussel told POLITICO, while confirming tentative plans to carry out a maiden launch of the next-generation rocket by the close of next year, though the first full-scale commercial launch will only happen in 2024.
A timelapse of the first #Ariane6 full stack assembly from July to October.Directed by Manuel Pédoussaut/ZetaPressExecutive Producer: Stéphane Corvaja/ESAMusic: Hubrid-Dust#ESA #CSG
🛳We got new pictures from Canopée, the ship that will transport the various pieces of Ariane 6 between Europe and French Guiana. On November 10, the ship was docked in Rotterdam under the Dutch sun. Such a beautiful sight!#ArianeGroup #Ariane6 #boat
PRESS RELEASECANOPÉE CARGO SHIP DOCKS IN FRENCH GUIANA FOR THE FIRST TIME13/01/20232 minutes Canopée has completed its very first transatlantic crossing and has reached Pariacabo harbor in French Guiana.The new-generation sailing cargo ship has been custom-designed to ship Ariane 6 launcher components to Kourou.Canopée will be fitted with sails by the summer. Its hybrid propulsion uses a combination of sails and traditional engines.This first crossing is part of a series of sea trials to qualify harbor infrastructure and Canopée’s future shipping route.The use of Canopée will ultimately halve the costs of shipping Ariane parts and reduce the environmental footprint.Canopée, the new Ariane 6 transport ship, reached Pariacabo harbor in French Guiana for the first time on January 13, 2023, after leaving Rotterdam in the Netherlands on December 27, 2022, on its very first voyage to French Guiana. This first transatlantic crossing marks the end of sea trials.“With the sea qualification of Canopée, we have achieved a further milestone in the Ariane 6 adventure. This cargo ship completely meets the program objectives: reducing costs, shortening production cycles, and reducing our environmental footprint,” says Karl-Heinz Servos, ArianeGroup’s Head of Industry. “The success of the sea trials means that qualification tests can now begin in the harbors where Canopée will dock. Canopée will transport the inaugural flight Ariane 6 launcher from this summer, then the following launchers which are already being integrated at ArianeGroup’s sites in France and Germany.”Canopée has been custom-built to meet the complex requirements of Ariane 6 transport. It is a hybrid-propulsion vessel designed to ship all the launcher stages and sub-assemblies together, to be environmentally friendly, and to halve shipping costs, particularly by the use of wingsails. Canopée’s structure is tailored to be able to carry large, fragile loads and to navigate the shallow Kourou river in French Guiana right up to Pariacabo harbor. Canopée measures 121 metres in length, with a 22-meter beam. Its total displacement tonnage is 10,000 tons, and it can travel at a speed of 17 knots.Construction of Canopée began in 2020 in the Polish port of Sczezcin, under the direction of maritime company Alizés, a joint venture between offshore services specialist Jifmar and naval architects Zéphyr & Borée, which won ArianeGroup’s tender for the project. The first build stage included assembly of structural elements, installation of engines and control systems, and fitting out the ship. Canopée was first launched in June 2022, traveling from Sczezcin to Rotterdam, where fitting out was completed (cabling, navigation instrumentation, system start-up, router implementation and cabin layout). Sea trials were then undertaken over several days to check that all electrical, propulsion, and safety systems were functioning correctly. Canopée’s seaworthiness certificate was received on December 23, 2022. ArianeGroup began operating Canopée at the end of December 2022, allowing the ship to make its first ocean crossing to French Guiana and complete sea trials. Canopée’s return leg to Europe will provide key data for future voyages. The ship will be fitted with its four articulated wingsails by the summer.In the Ariane 6 program, ArianeGroup is responsible for transporting the launcher components from Europe to French Guiana, using the first sailing cargo ship designed and developed by the joint venture Alizés for ArianeGroup.Ariane 6 is a program of the European Space Agency (ESA), which is responsible for the entire launch system architecture. As lead contractor and design authority for the launcher, ArianeGroup is in charge of development and production, with its industrial partners, along with marketing and operation, via its subsidiary Arianespace.
