The first launch of the new Ariane 6 heavy launch vehicle, created by experts from the European Space Agency (ESA) and Arianspace, took place on July 9 from the Kourou Cosmodrome in French Guiana.

During the first mission, a mock-up payload was launched into Earth orbit, along with a number of small satellites (cubesats).

Europeans have long awaited the launch of the Ariane 6. Development of the rocket began in late 2014 and its first flight was scheduled for 2020. However, technical issues and the COVID-19 pandemic have changed the deadlines. These delays meant that the Ariane 6 launch was not timed to coincide with the retirement of the Ariane 5 rocket, which made its 117th and final flight in July 2023. Following the retirement of the Ariane 5, the Vega small satellite launch vehicle remains the only operating orbital rocket in Europe.

That didn’t sit well with European space authorities, who didn’t want to rely on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket or other foreign rockets to launch large cargo into orbit, so they eagerly awaited the launch of the Ariane 6.