On July 10th (Vietnam time), the European Space Agency (ESA) successfully launched the Ariane 6 rocket for the first time, bringing hope to the continent for regaining independent access to space.
Ariane 6 rocket. (Photo: AFP/TTXVN).
The strongest rocket launch by ESA occurred smoothly in clear weather at 19:00 GMT on July 9th (2:00 AM on July 10th, Vietnam time) from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
ESA Director Josef Aschbacher stated: “This is a historic day for Europe.”
This rocket, designed to place satellites into orbit, was initially scheduled for launch in 2020; however, the COVID-19 pandemic and various technical issues delayed the plan.
Meanwhile, the previous version, Ariane 5, had “retired,” leaving the European Union (EU) without an independent means to launch satellites into space.
At the end of November last year, ESA announced that the first launch of the Ariane 6 rocket would take place between June 15th and July 31st.
Ariane 6 is designed to keep pace with the growing competition in the space rocket market, including SpaceX, led by American billionaire Elon Musk. The Ariane 5 was last launched in July 2023, marking 27 years since its first flight.
