Ariane 6: Europe's New Rocket Battles Delays as Ariane 5 Era Ends

Europe's Ariane 6 rocket, the successor to the retired Ariane 5, is facing delays in its development, potentially pushing its first flight into 2024 or beyond. Arianespace's CEO stated that a launch date for Ariane 6 will be set in September, while the European Space Agency maintains a late 2023 target. The rocket aims to compete with SpaceX's success but lacks reusability. As delays persist, the European Commission is considering launching Galileo satellites using US providers like SpaceX or United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur. Ariane 6 has attracted contracts from companies like Amazon, but its estimated development cost has nearly doubled to 4 billion euros ($4.15 billion).