At long last: Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket set to debut on July 9

[Admin]

Europe's new Ariane 6 heavy-lift rocket is set to launch for the first time on July 9 after a series of delays.

At long last: Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket set to debut on July 9 : Read more

 

[newtons_laws]

Whilst I welcome the imminent first launch of Ariane 6 and hope it goes well I can't see it being used that much except for ESA missions. Previous Ariane versions won a significant number of commercial launch contracts but since the advent of SpaceX's reusable Falcon 9 rocket I can't see how the non reusable Ariane 6 can compete on cost grounds in winning commercial contracts (the same could be said for ULA's non reusable launchers too).

 

[fj.torres]

Whilst I welcome the imminent first launch of Ariane 6 and hope it goes well I can't see it being used that much except for ESA missions. Previous Ariane versions won a significant number of commercial launch contracts but since the advent of SpaceX's reusable Falcon 9 rocket I can't see how the non reusable Ariane 6 can compete on cost grounds in winning commercial contracts (the same could be said for ULA's non reusable launchers too).

Much like SLS and New Glenn, it is the best Old Space can come up with.

It's not just Falcon they need to worry about: Relativity and Rocket Lab are also in the queue as reusable alternatives that will be flying long before Ariane 7 gets beyond paper studies. Until they grok the value of hardware rich development none of them will be more than also rans.

Even with modern software, space is hard and eventually you have to cut metal; the inevitable is best dealt with the soonest.

 

[newtons_laws]

Much like SLS and New Glenn, it is the best Old Space can come up with.

It's not just Falcon they need to worry about: Relativity and Rocket Lab are also in the queue as reusable alternatives that will be flying long before Ariane 7 gets beyond paper studies. Until they grok the value of hardware rich development none of them will be more than also rans.

Even with modern software, space is hard and eventually you have to cut metal; the inevitable is best dealt with the soonest.

Good point about the other companies going down the reusable route. Although being a senior citizen and living in the UK I had to internet search for the meaning of 'grok' https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/grok

 

[fj.torres]

Good point about the other companies going down the reusable route. Although being a senior citizen and living in the UK I had to internet search for the meaning of 'grok' https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/grok

Grok is a bit more than just understanding; it is about internalizing it so it is core to your thinking.

Like, the SpaceX mantra: "The best part is no part." It leads to thinking about what function a given part or system performs and questioning how necessary it is and whether the function can be done a different way. Appled to landing legs, it led to the "mechazilla" docking arms to "catch" Starship boosters and ships while at the same time it serves to stack, unstack, and manipulate them at the launch tower.

For all that the SpaceX staff are briliant at software, they are even better at designing multifunction components and systems. A valuable skill when dealing with 3D printed designs. The folks at Relativity share that skill. Check out their online video showing how they build their engines.

It's like the New Space generation plays ches while old space plays checkers. They work under different assumptions and rules and come up with different solutions.

 

[newtons_laws]

French news outlet Le Monde reported that the executive committee of Eumetsat, the European meteorological satellite agency, had asked the agency’s board of directors to cancel a contract it signed with Arianespace four years ago to launch its Meteosat MTG-S1 satellite. The mission would have been flown aboard the third Ariane 6 flight, which is expected to be launched in early 2025. The satellite will now be launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

The news has prompted an angry outburst by French Space Agency CNES chief Philippe Baptiste who has responded to Eumetsat’s decision to ditch Ariane 6 for Falcon 9, saying that it is a “brutal change” and “a very disappointing day for European space efforts.”

I guess if the satellite is ready for launch now rather than wait for Ariane 6 sometime next year Eumetsat prefer to launch sooner with SpaceX (and probably cheaper too)....

CNES Chief Responds Harshly to Eumetsat’s Decision to Ditch Ariane 6

The CNES chairman has called Eumetsat's decision to ditch Ariane 6 for Falcon 9 a “disappointing day for European space efforts.”

europeanspaceflight.com

 

[fj.torres]

French news outlet Le Monde reported that the executive committee of Eumetsat, the European meteorological satellite agency, had asked the agency’s board of directors to cancel a contract it signed with Arianespace four years ago to launch its Meteosat MTG-S1 satellite. The mission would have been flown aboard the third Ariane 6 flight, which is expected to be launched in early 2025. The satellite will now be launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

The news has prompted an angry outburst by French Space Agency CNES chief Philippe Baptiste who has responded to Eumetsat’s decision to ditch Ariane 6 for Falcon 9, saying that it is a “brutal change” and “a very disappointing day for European space efforts.”

I guess if the satellite is ready for launch now rather than wait for Arian sometime next year Eumetsat prefer to launch sooner with SpaceX (and probably cheaper too)....

CNES Chief Responds Harshly to Eumetsat’s Decision to Ditch Ariane 6

The CNES chairman has called Eumetsat's decision to ditch Ariane 6 for Falcon 9 a “disappointing day for European space efforts.”

europeanspaceflight.com

Satelites have consumables onboard and finite usable lifetimes.
The satellite might be needed to replace an older one showing sighs of "senility".
'25 might be too late, nationalism not withstanding.