Ariane 6

Ariane 6

Ariane 62 (left) and Ariane 64 (right)
Function	A62: Medium-lift launch vehicle A64: Heavy-lift launch vehicle
Manufacturer	ArianeGroup
Country of origin	European multi-national[a]
Project cost	€3.215 billion[1]
Cost per launch	A62: €70 million (2018 est.)[2] A64: €115 million (2018 est.)[2]
Size
Height	63 m (207 ft)
Diameter	5.4 m (18 ft)
Mass	A62: 530,000 kg (1,170,000 lb) A64: 860,000 kg (1,900,000 lb)
Stages	2
Capacity
Payload to LEO
Mass	A62: 10,350 kg (22,820 lb)[3] A64: 21,650 kg (47,730 lb)[3]
Payload to GTO
Orbital inclination	6°
Mass	A62: 4,500 kg (9,900 lb)[3] A64: 11,500 kg (25,400 lb)[3]
Payload to GEO
Orbital inclination	0°
Mass	A64: 5,000 kg (11,000 lb)[3]
Payload to SSO
Orbital inclination	97.4°
Mass	A62: 7,200 kg (15,900 lb)[3] A64: 15,500 kg (34,200 lb)[3]
Payload to LTO
Orbital inclination	97.4°
Mass	A62: 3,500 kg (7,700 lb)[3] A64: 8,600 kg (19,000 lb)[3]
Associated rockets
Family	Ariane
Comparable	Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, Terran R, H3, Vulcan Centaur
Launch history
Status	Active
Launch sites	Guiana Space Centre, ELA-4
Total launches	1
Partial failure(s)	1 (VA262)
First flight	9 July 2024 (2024-07-09)[4]
Boosters – P120C
No. boosters	2 or 4
Diameter	3 m (9.8 ft)
Propellant mass	142,000 kg (313,000 lb)
Maximum thrust	3,500 kN (790,000 lbf) each
Total thrust	A62: 7,000 kN (1,600,000 lbf) A64: 14,000 kN (3,100,000 lbf)
Burn time	130 seconds
Propellant	HTPB / AP / Al
First stage – LLPM
Diameter	5.4 m (18 ft)
Propellant mass	140,000 kg (310,000 lb)
Powered by	1 × Vulcain 2.1
Maximum thrust	1,370 kN (310,000 lbf)
Burn time	468 seconds
Propellant	LOX / LH2
Second stage – ULPM
Diameter	5.4 m (18 ft)
Propellant mass	31,000 kg (68,000 lb)
Powered by	1 × Vinci
Maximum thrust	180 kN (40,000 lbf)
Burn time	Up to 900 seconds and four burns[5]
Propellant	LOX / LH2
[edit on Wikidata]

Ariane 6 is a European expendable launch system developed for the European Space Agency (ESA) and manufactured by a consortium of European companies, led by the prime contractor ArianeGroup. As part of the Ariane rocket family, it is operated by Arianespace, replacing the Ariane 5. The project’s primary contributors were France (55%), Germany (21%), and Italy (7.6%), with the remaining work distributed among ten other participating countries.^[6]

This two-stage rocket utilizes liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen (hydrolox) engines. The first stage features an upgraded Vulcain engine from Ariane 5, while the second uses the Vinci engine, designed specifically for this rocket. The Ariane 62 variant uses two P120C solid rocket boosters, while Ariane 64 uses four. The P120C booster is shared with Europe's other launch vehicle, Vega C, and is an improved version of the P80 rocket stage used on the original Vega.

Selected in December 2014 over an all-solid-fuel alternative, Ariane 6 was initially planned for a 2020 debut. However, the program faced delays, with the first launch eventually taking place on 9 July 2024. While the rocket successfully launched, the mission experienced a partial failure when the upper stage malfunctioned and was not able to complete its final deorbit burn. The second launch has been postponed to no earlier than the first quarter of 2025.^[7]

Ariane 6 was designed to halve launch costs and increase annual capacity from seven to eleven missions compared to its predecessor, but the program has faced controversy over high costs and lack of reusability versus competitors' rockets, such as SpaceX's Falcon 9. European officials defend the program, saying it provides crucial independent space access for its member states.

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