The European Space Agency (ESA) and ArianeGroup announced that the first launch of the Ariane 6 heavy launch vehicle will take place on July 9 from the French Guiana spaceport. The launch will be the culmination of many years of work and mark a new era in Europe’s independent access to space.

Ariane 6 is a two-stage launch vehicle with solid-fuel boosters. Its reusable upper stage will allow multiple satellites to be launched into different orbits during a single launch. The rocket will replace Ariane 5, which was retired last July after more than 100 successful missions.

The launch of Ariane 6 was originally planned for 2020, but technical issues, the COVID-19 pandemic and design changes led to delays. The launch date was officially announced on June 5 at the ILA Air Show in Berlin, but the exact launch time has not yet been announced.

“I would like to thank the teams for their tireless work and dedication in this final phase of the launch campaign. Ariane 6 is a modern European rocket that adapts to our future goals,” said ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher.

There will be refueling tests before the start and a countdown dress rehearsal on June 18.

“This flight will be the result of years of development and testing by ArianeGroup and its partners in Europe. As a result, efficiency will increase and commercial use of Ariane 6 will open over the next two years,” said ArianeGroup CEO Martin Sion.

Ariane 6’s first flight will be primarily a demonstration, but it will also carry a commercial payload into orbit. If successful, Ariane 6 could make a second flight before the end of the year. The rocket is expected to perform approximately 10 launches per year.