ArianeGroup chief executive André-Hubert Roussel underscored recent Ariane 6 development milestones on the test bench at Lampoldshausen and in the assembly buildings and on the launch pad in French Guiana. In French Guiana, to have fully stacked a test model of Ariane 6 shows that the mechanical interfaces between rocket and launch pad are successful. The next goal is to demonstrate the same for electrical and fluid connections, and to ensure the ground infrastructure and launcher communicate properly up to the moment of liftoff.

And, he added, the programme marked an “extremely important event” on 13 July 2022 with the successful inaugural flight of ESA’s Vega-C launcher, whose P120C solid-fuel first stage does double duty, also serving as strap-on boosters for Ariane 6 – with two or four units to be used depending on mission requirements.

Roussel went on to say that ArianeGroup’s European supply chain is already ramping up production for regular Ariane 6 flights. The first flight model of Ariane 6 will ship to French Guiana at the end of this year or beginning of 2023. Facilities in Les Mureaux (France), Bremen (Germany) and at the spaceport are already working on flight models 2 and 3, and long-lead components have been ordered for subsequent flights.

CNES chief executive Philippe Baptiste gave his perspective from the ground in French Guiana. He noted that the Ariane 6 launch facility is the eighth to be designed by CNES, and the ground infrastructure will play a significant role in reducing the cost and time of an Ariane 6 launch campaign.

At the spaceport, he added, the “green impact” of Ariane 6 launch operations is being mitigated by a solar farm and biomass generation plant. Also, an upcoming green hydrogen plant is in development to serve the launch operation.

Arianespace chief executive Stéphane Israël stressed the flexibility of the Ariane 6 and Vega-C systems: “Both are perfectly adaptable to institutional and commercial needs.”

The upcoming Ariane 6 “Block II” version – featuring an enhanced-performance main stage and enlarged “P120C+” boosters, which will also be used on Vega-C – will increase performance to low-Earth orbit by about 20%, he added.

Meanwhile, said Israël, there are today 29 Ariane 6s on order: “It’s a very strong orderbook for a launcher that’s not flown yet.”

Ariane 6 orders, he added, are a sign that the demand for these European launchers is growing along with the global launch market. In time, he said, there may be a business case for increasing the Ariane 6 launch cadence.

ESA Director of Space Transportation Daniel Neuenschwander said that with Vega-C flying and Ariane 6 on the way, “The new family of European launchers is ready for full deployment.”

The Vega-C inaugural flight, he noted, returned “very good” technical data. All four engines performed well to result in accurate payload injection. The rocket, he said, can be handed over to Arianespace for commercial exploitation; a plan for four launches in 2023 means a “steep ramp-up”.

Then Neuenschwander summarized ESA’s proposals to the CM22 ministerial summit, to be held this November in Paris. Priorities include transition to full-rate exploitation of Ariane 6 and Vega-C, and development of Ariane 6 Block II.

Development of the higher-performing Vega-E model is also a priority. Higher performance, he said, will mean more flexibility on its current market segment.

Further ahead, Neuenschwander stressed the need to continue work on “technology disruptors”. These will include work on the Themis reusable booster stage concept and a reusable second stage: “We will show we are technically able to do this in Europe.”

Neuenschwander added that ESA plans to continue its Boost! programme, which supports the emerging European private sector in space transportation.

And, he said, ESA will work towards devising a European human space transportation capability, with the goal being “to prepare for an informed decision in 2023”.