Europe bids farewell to Ariane 5, its trusted heavy-lift rocket

The last Ariane 5 rocket is set to launch from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana, leaving Europe without a heavy-lift rocket for the first time in decades. Europe's domestic rocketry business, ArianeGroup, will have to rely on US-based SpaceX for launches until the Ariane 6 rocket is ready, which is expected to be delayed further. The Ariane 5 has been a reliable workhorse for European orbital delivery, but it is relatively expensive and non-reusable compared to SpaceX's Falcon 9. The European Space Agency has already started using SpaceX's rockets and is seeking a contract to fill the gap in service. The Ariane 6, although still a single-use vehicle, is expected to be a reliable platform in the future. ArianeSpace is also developing a reusable spacecraft called Susie for crewed missions.