What's happened
The European Space Agency's Ariane 6 rocket successfully launched from French Guiana on July 9, 2024, after four years of delays. The rocket reached circular orbit and deployed its first set of satellites, marking a significant milestone for Europe's independent access to space. Meanwhile, Chinese commercial rocket firm iSpace suffered another setback with the failure of its Hyperbola-1 rocket on July 11, 2024, resulting in the loss of three satellites.
What's behind the headline?
What the papers say
According to Ars Technica, the Ariane 6 launch was a decade in the making and cost over $4 billion, aiming to replace the Ariane 5 with a more capable launcher. The Independent highlighted the significance of the launch for Europe's independent access to space, while Politico noted the competitive challenges posed by SpaceX's reusable rockets. In contrast, the South China Morning Post reported on iSpace's fourth consecutive failure, emphasizing the difficulties faced by the Chinese start-up in building a reliable launch vehicle.
How we got here
The Ariane 6 rocket was developed to replace the aging Ariane 5, which had been Europe's workhorse for satellite launches since 1996. The development of Ariane 6 faced numerous delays, pushing its inaugural flight from 2020 to 2024. These delays, coupled with geopolitical tensions and the retirement of Ariane 5, left Europe reliant on foreign launch providers like SpaceX. The successful launch of Ariane 6 marks a significant step towards regaining independent access to space. Meanwhile, iSpace, a Chinese commercial rocket firm, has been striving to establish itself in the competitive space industry but has faced multiple setbacks, including the recent failure of its Hyperbola-1 rocket.
Go deeper
- What are the future plans for the Ariane 6 rocket?
- How does the Ariane 6 compare to SpaceX's Falcon 9?
- What are the implications of iSpace's repeated launch failures?
Common question
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Ariane 6 is a European expendable launch system currently under development by ArianeGroup on behalf of the European Space Agency. It is intended to replace the Ariane 5, as part of the Ariane launch vehicle family.
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Ariane 5 is a European heavy-lift space launch vehicle developed and operated by Arianespace for the European Space Agency. It is launched from the Centre Spatial Guyanais in French Guiana.
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Space Exploration Technologies Corp., trading as SpaceX, is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company headquartered in Hawthorne, California.
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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the U.S. Federal Government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and space research.
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Elon Reeve Musk FRS is an engineer, industrial designer, technology entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is the founder, CEO, CTO and chief designer of SpaceX; early investor, CEO and product architect of Tesla, Inc.; founder of The Boring Company; co-foun
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China, officially the People's Republic of China, is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of around 1.4 billion in 2019.
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i-Space —also known as Space Honor, Beijing Interstellar Glory Space Technology Ltd., Interstellar Glory or StarCraft Glory—is a Chinese private space technology development and space launch company based in Beijing, founded in October 2016.