After two flights and more than 7,000 kilometres from Paris, we have been able to witness first-hand a launch that has put Europe at the forefront of global space technology: placing in orbit a cutting-edge satellite that speeds up mapping of the Earth’s surface to monitor disasters and help prevent floods and wildfires from continuing to devastate countries across the Old Continent.
The heart of Ariane 6’s launch system is not on the pad but in a windowless control room several kilometres away. That is where we are received by the deputy launch director, Frédéric – whose surname is withheld to reduce the risk of cyberattacks – and several engineers who walk us through the details of this milestone. The rocket that will carry the new European weather satellite into orbit was built around a very clear premise: to be cheaper and more versatile than its predecessor, Ariane 5, in an international market that is far more competitive than a decade ago.
The launcher: a rocket designed not to waste time in Kourou
The key, the engineers explain, lies in where each element is produced. Ariane 6’s main stage is fully manufactured and tested in France; the upper stage in Germany. Both arrive in Guiana already "ready to fly", with no need for additional functional checks once they are unloaded from Canopée. Transport is handled by the dedicated cargo vessel Canopée, the striking ship with huge sails that has made the shipping company famous, which also picks up parts in Bordeaux and Rotterdam before completing the route to South America.
