Ariane 64 set for maiden launch from Europe’s spaceport

15:50

By: Dakir Madiha

Ariane 64 set for maiden launch from Europe’s spaceport

Europe’s most powerful rocket is preparing for its first flight. The Ariane 64 launcher is scheduled to lift off on Thursday from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, marking the debut of the four-booster version of Ariane 6. The mission will carry 32 satellites for Amazon’s low Earth orbit broadband constellation, known as Amazon Leo.

The flight, designated VA267 by Arianespace, is planned within a launch window opening at 16:45 UTC and closing at 17:13 UTC. It is the first of 18 launches Amazon has contracted with Arianespace as part of its effort to build a satellite network designed to rival SpaceX’s Starlink service.

Ariane 64 represents a significant step up in capability from the Ariane 62 variant, which has flown five times since the Ariane 6 program’s inaugural mission in July 2024. Equipped with four P120C solid rocket boosters, the heavy-lift configuration can place more than 20 tonnes into low Earth orbit, roughly double the capacity of the two-booster version.

Hervé Gilibert, technical director at ArianeGroup, said the mission introduces a new performance profile for the launcher, noting that the increased thrust would be clearly visible during ascent compared with earlier Ariane 6 flights.

Standing 62 meters tall, about the height of a 20-story building, Ariane 64 will also debut the launcher’s 20-meter-long payload fairing. The mission is expected to last just under two hours, with the satellites released in pairs from the rocket’s upper stage once in orbit.

The launch will raise the total number of Amazon Leo satellites in orbit to 212. Amazon faces a regulatory deadline set by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission requiring 1,618 satellites to be operational by July 30, 2026. To meet that target, the company has secured more than 80 launches across multiple providers, including Blue Origin and Arianespace.

Beyond the commercial mission, the flight highlights Europe’s continued push for independent access to space at a time when SpaceX dominates the global launch market. ArianeGroup manufactures the Ariane 6 rocket across 13 European Space Agency member states, working with a network of more than 600 subcontractors.

Caroline Arnoux, who heads ArianeGroup’s commercial launch services, said between seven and eight Ariane 6 launches are planned for 2026. She added that the company’s order book corresponds to roughly 30 missions, split between institutional payloads and commercial customers.