The European Space Agency has evaluated the full cycle of the fire test of the first stage of the Ariane 6 rocket. The agency decided to conduct the first flight test next year.
At the end of last month, Arianespace tested the first stage engine. It operated for 426 seconds, after which it was automatically shut down due to exceeding the permissible load on the launch pad. To simulate the full cycle from takeoff to separation, 470 seconds of continuous operation are required.
The European Space Agency has announced that Ariane 6 will launch on its first test flight next summer. The exact date is not yet known, but it will be between June 15 and July 31.
Ariane 6 will not go into space empty-handed. A European launch vehicle will put several satellites into orbit. The full payload will be sent into space during the second flight, which is expected to take place at the end of 2024. In 2025, Arianespace intends to start launching Amazon’s Internet satellites into orbit.
