Ariane 6 Rocket to Undertake First Commercial Mission, Boosting Europe’s Space Ambitions

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured countless arm-like structures stretching across the spiral galaxy known as NGC 2608. (Image courtesy of NASA/VOA)

[People News] Europe’s next-generation heavy-lift launch vehicle, the Ariane 6 rocket, is set to execute its first commercial launch mission on Monday (March 3). Amid rapidly shifting global geopolitics, European nations are striving to ensure independent access to space, reducing reliance on external parties.

This highly anticipated mission, which has faced multiple delays, is scheduled to lift off from the Guiana Space Centre (CSG) in French Guiana at 1:24 PM local time (16:24 GMT).

The launch comes at a time when the Russia-Ukraine war remains unresolved, France is urging Europe to reduce its security dependence on the United States, and the European space industry is working hard to maintain its competitiveness against U.S. companies like SpaceX.

According to the French National Centre for Space Studies (CNES), the Ariane 6 will carry the French military reconnaissance satellite CSO-3 into space, where it is expected to enter a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of approximately 800 kilometers (500 miles).

Commissioned by the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) and operated by the French Space and Air Force, this mission marks the first launch from the Guiana Space Centre in 2025 and the second launch of the Ariane 6 since its maiden flight last summer.

Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports that the CSO-3 satellite will enhance France’s military autonomy and improve its intelligence-gathering capabilities.

CSO-3 will complete a network of three French military imaging satellites, the first two of which were launched by Russia’s Soyuz rocket in 2018 and 2020.

“It is always better to have our own launch vehicles and launch from home,” said Philippe Steininger, an advisor at the French Space Agency (CNES), in an interview with AFP.

Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, European nations have been unable to use Russia’s Soyuz rockets for satellite launches, while the Ariane 5 rocket was retired in 2023.

“The whole world is watching us,” said David Cavailloles, CEO of French aerospace company Arianespace, in an AFP interview in February.

According to Arianespace, the mission was initially planned for December 2024 but was postponed to February 26 this year before being further delayed to March 3 due to logistical issues encountered while transporting the satellite to the Kourou launch site.

Strict Security Measures

Given the military significance of this satellite in space, stringent security measures are being enforced at the launch center on the northern coast of South America to restrict access, while three Rafale fighter jets will patrol the skies in the vicinity.

"The satellite must be protected," stated Carine Leveau, the director of the CNES Space Transportation Directorate. "It is equipped with specialized instruments that should not be visible to just anyone from the outside." This satellite will allow the French military to receive images of extremely high resolution.

Stanninger, the author of "Space Revolutions," remarked, "This is very important for the military to execute missions and for the government to make independent decisions; they will have first-hand information that does not depend on anyone else."

"The satellite can create quite accurate military maps using 3D imaging technology," he added.

"Autonomous Access to Space"

Another European launch vehicle, the Vega-C rocket, has been grounded for two years following a commercial maiden flight incident and is expected to resume flights in December 2024.

Due to the grounding of Vega-C, the delay of the Ariane 6 rocket mission, and the cessation of cooperation with Russia, Europe has been unable to independently launch satellites for a year.

Lionel Suchet, acting director of CNES, told AFP: "Regaining the ability to access space autonomously is crucial for France and Europe. If we cannot independently launch satellites into space, we cannot develop a genuine space policy."

Ensuring safety is the top priority. 'As with all launches, this mission involves certain risks,' he added.

Some images taken by the CSO-3 satellite will be shared with Germany, Belgium, and Sweden.

(Source: Voice of America)