Europe’s Ariane 6 Launches Back into Orbit

The European Space Agency has successfully launched its long-awaited heavy launcher, Ariane 6, marking a significant return to orbit for the space agency. The first flight of Ariane 6, which took off from French Guiana, was a resounding success, placing 17 satellites, CubeSats, and projects into various orbits.

Ariane 6 is a heavy launcher capable of carrying up to 100 tonnes into low Earth orbit. It incorporates a range of new technologies, including 3D printing, to help reduce costs for this single-use system. While Ariane 6 itself is a single-use launcher, its developer, ArianeSpace, is actively working on a reusable demonstrator named Prometheus, which utilizes very low-cost 3D printed engines.

The core stage of Ariane 6 utilizes solid rocket boosters (P120C) for the initial 10 minutes of flight up to 200 km, delivering an impressive 135 tons of thrust in a vacuum. The core stage is powered by the liquid-fueled Vulcain 2.1 engine, an upgraded version derived from the Ariane 5's Vulcain 2 engine, along with two or four P120C strap-on solid boosters to provide additional thrust during liftoff.

The upper stage of Ariane 6 is powered by the reignitable Vinci engine, fueled by cryogenic liquid oxygen and hydrogen. This design enables Ariane 6 to reach a variety of orbits on a single mission and deliver multiple payloads. The upper stage typically undergoes one, two, or more burns to reach its targeted orbits and, after payload separation, performs a de-orbit maneuver to reduce space debris.

During the inaugural flight of Ariane 6, a crucial test was the reignition of the upper stage's Vinci engine. This phase involved the Vinci engine refiring for the first time, altering Ariane 6's orbit from elliptical to a circular orbit 580 km from Earth's surface. The process of reigniting an engine in zero gravity is complex, requiring the Auxiliary Propulsion Unit (APU) to settle the fuel in the tanks before reignition.