On Thursday 4 April, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced that Europe’s next rocket, Ariane 6, had “successfully” passed all its qualification tests in preparation for its maiden flight, and that “the full-scale test model has been removed from the launch pad to make way for the real rocket that will go into space”.
The launch simulation included the removal of the mobile gantry, the cooling of the launcher and ground fluid systems, the filling of the upper and central...