Europe’s long‑awaited Ariane 6 returned heavy‑lift capability to Kourou, blazing skyward on a mission designed to wring out every element of the new launcher. The hydrogen‑fueled core and twin P120C boosters generated nearly 9 MN of thrust at liftoff, pushing the 62‑meter stack away from the equatorial pad.
During the two‑hour flight, the Vinci upper stage executed three engine burns, validating multi‑orbit insertion techniques that customers have requested for years. Eleven payloads—including university CubeSats, ESA tech demos, and a mass‑dummy replicating a telecom satellite—were released into GEO‑transfer, MEO, and sun‑synchronous orbits.
ArianeGroup engineers confirmed guidance, avionics, and fairing‑separation systems all met or exceeded benchmarks. With the qualification flight complete, Ariane 6 is cleared for its first commercial mission later this year, carrying a pair of Galileo navigation satellites.