ESA awards Ariane 6 contract to Airbus Safran Launchers

Two versions of the launcher are planned. The Ariane 62 will have two P120 solid boosters and will primarily conduct government and scientific missions. Meanwhile, Ariane 64 will have four boosters, and is intended to deliver bigger payloads, undertaking commercial dual-satellite launches.

The contract will see €680m delivered up front for initial development, building towards a preliminary design review in mid-2016. The first flight is scheduled for 2020 and full operational capability is expected in 2023, by which stage Ariane 6 should be delivering up to 12 launches a year.

The total amount for the development of the launcher is predicted to be in the region of €3bn, including boosters to be shared by Ariane and Vega, another European launcher.

“The contract - signed within a matter of months of the historic decision taken by representatives of the ESA member states during the Ministerial Conference on 2 December 2014 in Luxembourg to build a latest generation European launcher - will see industry taking on the leading role in its design and marketing,” said Alain Charmeau, CEO of Airbus Safran Launchers.