With Firing Test, Europe’s Ariane 6 Makes Progress Toward Likely 2024 Debut
Europe’s long-delayed, 4 billion euro ($4.15 billion) Ariane 6 rocket made progress towards its now-2024 inaugural launch with the successful 4-second firing test of the Vulcain 2.1 core engine in Kourou, French Guiana on September 5. In October, the European Space Agency (ESA) and rocket manufacturer ArianeGroup are expected to announce a 2024 launch date for the Ariane 6 debut, assuming a longer, 8-minute test currently planned for September 26 goes ahead as scheduled.