The first of two boosters that will power the Ariane 6 ‘flight model-1’ into orbit this summer was transported on 25 April 2024 from the booster storage facility in Kourou, French Guiana, to the launch zone. Tomorrow, the second booster will be transported from the booster integration building to join it, and soon after operations will begin to connect both the boosters to the rocket’s central core.

Each P120C booster is filled with 142 tonnes of solid rocket fuel, measures 13.5 metres long and is 3.4 metres wide. Without these, Ariane 6 would not leave the ground. Together, the two boosters will provide the majority of the thrust needed to get Europe’s new rocket into space, firing into action for up to 130 seconds, each providing 4500 kN of thrust and getting Europe’s new rocket out to an altitude of about 70 km.

The P120C boosters will fire up seven seconds after the Vulcain 2.1 main stage engine roars into action, getting Ariane 6 off the ground and then, when depleted of fuel, being ejected from the rocket to leave the main stage engine in charge.

The yellow transporter that carries each booster to the launch site is a remarkable vehicle in itself. With 36 aircraft wheels beneath it – two rows of nine wheels on either side – it can carry a mass of up to 250 tonnes (more than a jumbo jet). Because of this symmetry, it can be driven from both sides and can even make crablike movements as it swivels from side to side.

Ariane 6 is Europe’s newest rocket. A ‘heavy-lift launch vehicle’, it will be able to carry passengers, large and small, into orbit and across the Solar System. Its launch this summer will ensure Europe’s continued independent access to space.

Ariane 6 will be launched from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. It has been designed for all possible futures – at its core is maximum versatility, able to put any satellite or payload into any orbital path. This first flight will see the Ariane 62 configuration launched into orbit. For more massive payloads, the Ariane 64 model can be chosen, with four boosters and double the extra thrust.