16/04/24 (Agence Europe) – The final hot firing test of Ariane 6’s upper stage was successfully completed on 12 April at the German Aerospace Centre, Arianegroup announced on Monday 15 April. “The aim of this test was to gather further data for future Ariane 6 missions after its inaugural flight. The test focused on demonstrating the operation of the upper stage under non-nominal conditions (deviations from the normal operating conditions expected during flight), notably of the APU (Auxiliary Propulsion Unit) which is unique hardware that allows Ariane 6to be a versatile launcher and launch a diverse roster of missions”, explained the company on LinkedIn. Teams from the space centre and ArianeGroup produced a test sequence profile, including loading the stage tanks and preparing for flight. The first flight of Ariane 6 is scheduled for this summer. (CG)