![Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket blasts off for first time](https://www.americanmarconiwirelessnews.com/media/shared/articles/20/1e/89/Europe-s-new-Ariane-6-rocket-blasts-325517.jpg)
-
Sicily divers seek tycoon's daughter after superyacht sinking
-
Struggling F1 outfit Alpine sign Doohan for 2025 season
-
Energy-hungry Singapore eyes deserts, forest for renewables
-
Flood deluge worsens in Bangladesh with millions affected
-
Macron kicks off tense talks on new French government
-
Stocks mostly rise ahead of Powell, yen after BoJ rate hint
-
Indian PM Modi visits Ukraine to advocate peace
-
Humpback whale freed from Sydney Harbour after 22-hour ordeal
-
Harris vows 'new way forward' for America as she accepts nomination
-
Pacific leaders confront 'polycrisis' of rising seas and climbing tensions
-
UK Labour's move to tax private schools stirs passions
-
Taiwan leader urges unity on Chinese attack anniversary
-
Takeaways from the Democratic National Convention
-
Can Ligue 1 arrest decline after summer of crisis?
-
Harris accepts Democratic nomination with pledge of 'new way forward'
-
Alibaba to upgrade Hong Kong listing amid profit drop
-
Asian stocks slip with Wall St ahead of Powell, yen rises
-
Bayern plot to recapture Bundesliga with Leverkusen in crosshairs
-
Harris accepts Democratic nomination with vow to unite America
-
Conte and Napoli reeling after horror Serie A start
-
Indian desert school's unique design offers respite from heat
-
China's 'throwing eggs' card game wins fans and official censure
-
Volcano erupts in Iceland, sixth since December
-
Paris Paralympics to showcase best of disability sport
-
Bosnia volleyball team sets sights on Paralympic glory
-
Mbappe ready for Bernabeu bow as Ancelotti seeks Madrid balance
-
Australia tackles poor Great Barrier Reef water quality
-
Indian PM Modi to advocate 'peace' on historic Ukraine visit
-
NATO airbase in Germany raises security level over 'potential threat'
-
US Fed chair expected to signal support for rate cuts
-
Venezuela top court confirms Maduro's disputed reelection
-
Once 'canceled,' The Chicks take center stage at Democratic Convention
-
Harris vows to be 'president for all Americans' in convention climax
-
Influencers get VIP treatment at US Democratic National Convention
-
French prosecutors request trial in Depardieu rape probe
-
Influencer Andrew Tate placed under house arrest in Romania in new probe
-
Canada government steps in to end crippling freight rail shutdown
-
Harris poised for joyful star turn at Democratic convention
-
'I love him': Flag-waving Russians rally for pro-Putin pop star
-
Venezuela apex court confirms Maduro's disputed reelection
-
Chelsea give Maresca first win in Conference League
-
Fearing Trump, LGBTQ Americans out in force for vote
-
Apple to let iPhone users in Europe delete its App Store
-
Tebogo tops 200m, Wanyonyi on fire in mixed night for Olympic champs
-
Israel in Gaza talks in Egypt as fighting rages
-
Combining climate measures key to slashing emissions: study
-
Harris to formally accept Democratic nomination
-
England's Hull out in front after first round of Women's British Open
-
Ingebrigtsen claims revenge on Hocker in Lausanne 1500m
-
World's second largest diamond found in Botswana
![Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket blasts off for first time](https://www.americanmarconiwirelessnews.com/media/shared/articles/20/1e/89/Europe-s-new-Ariane-6-rocket-blasts-325517.jpg)
Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket blasts off for first time
Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket blasted off for the first time smoothly on Tuesday, carrying with it the continent's hopes of regaining independent access to space.
The much-delayed inaugural flight of the European Space Agency's most powerful rocket yet launched from Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana at 4pm local time (1900 GMT).
Crews on the ground at the launch site, which is surrounded by jungle on the South American coast, applauded as the rocket soared into clear skies.
Ariane 6's first launch, which was originally planned for 2020, is hoped to bring an end to a difficult time for European space efforts.
Since the last flight of its workhorse predecessor, Ariane 5, a year ago, Europe has been unable to launch satellites or other missions into space without relying on rivals such as Elon Musk's US firm SpaceX.
ESA chief Josef Aschbacher said it was a "very important moment for Europe".
"We are re-establishing independent access to space for Europe," he said just before the launch.
- 'First sigh of relief' -
Earlier Tuesday, the giant metal structure housing the rocket was rolled away, unsheathing the 56-metre (183 feet) behemoth in light rain, an AFP journalist observed.
After a positive weather report, the rocket's tanks were filled with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.
The planned time for liftoff was delayed by an hour after routine checks revealed a small data issue that was resolved, according to the ESA.
Tony dos Santos, Kourou technical manager, said that teams on the ground would only be able to "breathe our first sigh of relief when the first satellites have been released".
That is expected an hour and six minutes after liftoff. The entire flight is scheduled to take nearly three hours.
The mission will be considered successfully complete when the rocket's reusable upper stage splashes down into the Pacific Ocean.
In Kourou, more than 200 experts were concealed in a bunker near the launch site, checking for any potential problems before liftoff.
They were in constant contact with the Jupiter control room, the communications hub between the teams -- and data sent from the rocket.
A large number of armed forces also watched over the launch, including three fighter jets deployed to deter any curious aircraft nearby.
Successful inaugural flights are by no means guaranteed. Historically, nearly half of the first launches of new rockets have ended in failure. That includes Ariane 5, which exploded moments after liftoff in 1996.
But out of 117 launches over nearly 20 years, only one other Ariane 5 flight completely failed.
- Europe's 'return' -
Space has become big business and competition is soaring, particularly from SpaceX's fully re-usable Falcon 9 rockets.
Yet in recent years Europe has found itself without an independent way to give lucrative satellites a ride into space.
Russia pulled its Soyuz rockets, long used for European launches at Kourou, after Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Later that year, Europe's Vega-C light launcher was grounded after a launch failure. Ariane 6 delays compounded the crisis.
Tuesday's launch will mark Europe's "return" to the space scene, ESA space transportation director Toni Tolker-Nielsen said.
Selected by the ESA back in 2014, Ariane 6 will able to place satellites in geostationary orbit 36,000 kilometres above Earth, as well as satellite constellations a few hundreds of kilometres up.
The rocket's maiden flight will carry 17 different "passengers", including 11 university micro-satellites, as well as re-entry capsules and small scientific experiments.
One more Ariane 6 launch is scheduled for this year, followed by six in 2025 then eight in 2026.
In the future, it is booked to launch some of Amazon's Kuiper constellation of internet satellites.
O.Karlsson--AMWN