Second Ariane 6 in the spotlights

Ariane 6 on the launch pad after its mobile hangar was moved away on 3 March 2025 in preparation for its scheduled to launch from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana at 13:24 local time on 3 March 2025 (16:24 GMT, 17:24 CET). This is the first commercial flight for Ariane 6, flight number VA263, operated by Arianespace, carrying the CSO-3 satellite for the French Procurement Agency (DGA) and the French space agency (CNES) on behalf of the French Air and Space Force’s Space Command (CDE).

The mobile gantry surrounding Ariane 6 until the day of liftoff is a huge 90-metre-high building on rails that weighs more than the Eiffel tower. Hours before launch it rolls 120 m away from the launch pad in just 20 minutes, leaving Ariane 6 a clear ascent to the skies. The building is oriented to take the steady winds into account that blow in the region, allowing for efficient cooling .

The launch tower provides ventilation for the payloads at the top of the rocket, electricity and liquid propellant that is loaded into Ariane 6 at temperatures below –180°C through connections at ground level for the core stage and higher up for upper stage. The yellow arms that supply propellant to the upper stage are 13 m long and weigh 20 000 kg and can be retracted in less than 2.3 seconds to allow for a clear liftoff.