The European Space Agency (ESA) has admitted that the delayed launched of Arianespace’s new Ariane 6 rocket is not now likely to make its debut flight for another year. The new hope is for a launch in Q4 2023. Ariane 6 was first planned to launch in July 2020. Covid hasn’t helped, but with the […]
A report from BryceTech, which analyses and updates global rocket launch activity over Q2, says that SpaceX had the most launches during the three-month period. The 16 launches placed an overall 473 spacecraft into orbit, by far the most of any launch provider. Second place went to CASC, the China Aerospace Science & Technology Corporation, […]
Arianespace has been silent on any launch delays for its important Ariane 6 rocket. However, the director general of the European Space Agency, Josef Aschbacher, told the BBC that the new rocket will not fly until some time next year. Critics have suggested that Aschbacher did not attempt to disguise his words with phrases like […]
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is facing some urgent requests to authorise delays for satellite operators and their launch plans. The reasons are mostly caused by the pandemic and the impact of staff shortages at assorted satellite builders and their suppliers of components. The ITU has to decide whether to approve some extreme delays from […]
ArianeGroup Chief Executive André-Hubert Roussel has said the Ariane family of rocket launchers would be fully reusable starting by the end of this decade. His comments follow on from French Economics Minister Bruno Le Maire who has been highly critical of the Arianespace’s current use of non-reusable rockets, including the giant Ariane 5 and smaller […]
The launch of SES-17 has been delayed. Arianespace says investigations are ongoing in order to identify a new launch date from its Kourou spaceport. The Ariane 5 launch vehicle and spacecraft SES-17 and fellow passenger SYRACUSE 4A are in stable and safe conditions on the launch pad, says Arianespace. SYRACUSE-4A is a military satellite for […]
A major event took place in French Guiana when the launch complex for the upcoming Ariane 6 rockets was inaugurated. Dubbed ELA-4, the massive facility cost well over its budgeted €600 million. The project is also some eight years late. The project was managed by the French national space agency CNES. The site is now […]
The European Space Agency (ESA) has given its approval on Europe’s exploitation of the new Ariane 6 rocket as well as the smaller Vega-C launcher. A meeting on September 6th saw approval given for a roadmap for new and innovative space transportation solutions for the next decade and a framework for associated short cycle demonstrations. […]
The European Space Agency (ESA) is to invest about €90 million to the Ariane Group in order to develop a new engine for the Ariane 6 rocket, itself coming to the end of its design stage. The plan is for the new engine (dubbed Astris) to perform a ‘kick’ stage, and mounted as an addition […]
Recent launches of the giant Ariane 5 rocket have suffered excess vibration, causing severe delays to the rocket’s launch manifest. The problem with fairing vibrations has also affected launches made by the US’s United Launch Alliance and its Atlas 5 rockets. The vibrations occur prior to the separation of the rocket’s crucial fairings prior to […]