05/06/2024 (Agence Europe) – The Director General of the European Space Agency, Josef Aschbacher, announced on Wednesday 5 June at the ILA air show in Berlin that the first launch of Ariane 6 is targeted for 9 July from the European Space Centre in French Guiana. The last major milestone before the launch is the “wet dress rehearsal”. Europe’s new heavy launcher has a re-ignitable upper stage, enabling it to launch several missions into different orbits in a single flight. According to Arianespace CEO Stéphane Israël, Ariane 6 already has 30 missions in its order book. “We are preparing to make Ariane 6’s second launch by the end of the year, followed by a steady rise to around ten launches a year once we reach cruising speed”, he added. Ariane 6 has been expected for years, with its launch initially scheduled for 2020. (CG)