- Author, Jonathan Amos
- Role, Scientific correspondent
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Europe’s new major rocket, Ariane-6, has taken off on its maiden flight.
The vehicle left from a launch pad at French Guiana will lift off at around 4:00 p.m. local time (7:00 p.m. GMT) on a demonstration mission to put a series of satellites into orbit.
Ground crews in Kourou cheered as the rocket – developed at a cost of €4bn (£3.4bn) – soared into the sky.
But after smoothly climbing to the desired altitude, and successfully releasing a number of small satellites, the rocket’s upper stage experienced an anomaly just at the end of the flight.
The on-board computers made the decision to prematurely shut down the auxiliary power unit (APU) which pressurizes the propulsion system.
Ariane’s upper stage was then unable to initiate the combustion that is supposed to take it out of orbit and carry out the mission’s final task: releasing two re-entry capsules.
It was not immediately clear whether controllers would be able to fix the APU problem.
Ariane-6 is meant to be a working rocket that will allow European governments and companies to access space independently of the rest of the world. It already has a backlog of launch orders, but some fear its design will limit its future prospects.
Like its predecessor, the Ariane 5, the new model is disposable: a new rocket is needed for each mission, whereas the latest American vehicles are built to be fully or partially reusable.
Nevertheless, European space officials believe that Ariane-6 can carve out a niche for itself.
“This is a great moment,” said the Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), Josef Aschbacher.
“Everyday life today really depends on information coming from satellites, from telecommunications to Earth observation, weather forecasting and disaster management. It is unimaginable that Europe does not have guaranteed and independent access to space,” he told BBC News.
At first glance, the 6 looks a lot like the old 5, but under the skin it leverages cutting-edge manufacturing techniques (3D printing, friction stir welding, augmented reality design, etc.) that should translate into faster and cheaper production.
Ariane-6 will operate in two configurations:
- The “62” will be equipped with two solid-fuel side thrusters for lifting medium-sized payloads.
- The “64” will be equipped with four boosters to lift the heaviest satellites on the market
The core stage is complemented by a second stage, or upper stage, which will place the payloads into their precise orbits high above Earth.
This stage can be stopped and restarted multiple times, which is useful when launching large groups of satellites in a constellation or network. The restart capability also allows the stage to bring itself back to Earth, so that it does not become persistent space debris.
Tuesday’s mission used the Ariane-62 variant where the rocket climbs to an altitude of 580 km before beginning to unload payloads in free flight.
It’s a mix of academic and commercial spacecraft. Among them are two capsules that will attempt to survive a violent fall through the atmosphere to splash down in the Pacific.
One of the capsules, dubbed Nyx Bikini, is a small-scale demonstrator from a Franco-German company that eventually aims to develop spacecraft capable of carrying supplies and people to and from space stations in Earth orbit.
Ariane 6 vs Falcon 9
Maiden flights are always an occasion of great risk. It is not uncommon for a new rocket design to fail.
Ariane-5 collapsed 37 seconds after lifting off from the ground during its launch in 1996. The loss was attributed to an error in the control software.
But a revamped rocket returned to dominate the market for commercial launches of the world’s largest satellites. That dominance was only broken in the 2010s by American entrepreneur Elon Musk and his reusable Falcon-9 rockets.
The Falcon’s flight rates and prices are compromising the competitiveness of Ariane-5.
Europe is moving toward reusability, but the necessary technologies won’t be in service until the 2030s. And in the meantime, Mr. Musk is introducing even bigger rockets that promise to cut launch costs even further.
Ariane-6 therefore enters a very demanding environment.
“We can all have our own opinion. What I can just reiterate is that we have a full order book,” said Lucia Linares, head of space transportation strategy at ESA.
“I think the customers have the floor here: they have said that Ariane-6 was a response to their needs.”
Image source, ARIAN GROUP
Launch contracts have been signed to carry the rocket through its first three years of operation. These contracts include 18 launches for another American billionaire, Jeff Bezos, who wants to establish a constellation of internet satellites called Kuiper.
European officials want Ariane 6 to fly about once a month.
If this flight speed can be achieved, then the rocket should be able to prevail, commented Pierre Lionnet of the space consultancy ASD Eurospace.
“We first need to make sure that there is sufficient demand from European customers, European institutions. Then Ariane needs to win some commercial customers beyond Kuiper. That would give it a market,” he told BBC News.
“But it’s a question of price. If Falcon-9 systematically offers prices lower than those of Ariane-6, there will be a problem.”
Ariane-6 is a project of 13 ESA Member States, led by France (56%) and Germany (21%). The 13 partners have pledged grants of up to €340 million (£295 million) per year to support the first phase of Ariane-6 operations.
The UK was a major player in the European launcher programme from the start and remains an ESA member state, but its direct involvement in Ariane ended when the Ariane-4 model was retired in 2003.
A few British companies continue to supply components on a commercial basis, and some British-built spacecraft will undoubtedly continue to fly Ariane.