The European Space Agency (ESA) has reassured that the inaugural launch of the Ariane 6 is still scheduled for mid-2024, despite an aborted test of the rocket's upper stage. More so, ESA declared the rocket "ready to go" in terms of its launch capability, though lingering concerns persist regarding the upper stage's performance.
This picture taken on July 12, 2022, shows the central core of Ariane 6 rocket after its transfer on its launch pad, in Kourou, French Guiana.
Ariane 6 Rocket Upper Stage Mishap
During a test of the Ariane 6 upper stage on December 7, the proceedings were abruptly halted after just two minutes. The reason behind the premature abort was not initially released until authorities finished the investigation.
The test occurred at the DLR facility in Lampoldshausen, Germany, where an earlier full-duration test firing of the rocket's upper stage had been completed on September 1, lasting a total of 680 seconds. The purpose of the December test was to evaluate the upper stage's performance under degraded conditions.
Neither the European Space Agency nor ArianeGroup, the prime contractor, immediately disclosed the outcomes of the test. The revelation came during a press briefing on December 14, following an ESA council meeting.
Toni Tolker-Nielsen, the agency's director of space transportation, shared that the automatic abort occurred two minutes after initiating the Vinci engine and APU, triggered by sensors detecting parameters surpassing predetermined thresholds. The engines were shut down following the nominal sequence, and safety protocols were activated, including the emptying of tanks.
Referred to as the HFT-4 test, it surpassed the typical flight profile for Ariane 6. Notably, the upper stage will not operate in such a test configuration during its inaugural flight. The investigative teams are meticulously analyzing the test hardware and exploring potential causes of the abort, with conclusive results expected in mid-January 2024.
ESA: Ariane 6 Rocket Launch Still On Schedule
ESA has confirmed that the first launch of the Ariane 6 remains on schedule for mid-2024 despite a previous test setback involving the rocket's upper stage. In a statement on December 19, ESA reported the successful completion of a crucial Ariane 6 prototype test, known as combined test loading (CTLO3), at the spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on December 15.
During the test, the rocket's core and upper stages were fueled, and a practice countdown concluded with a four-second firing of the core stage's Vulcain 2.1 engine. ESA highlighted that CTLO3 included simulations of extreme ignition conditions, degraded liftoff modes, and abort scenarios, all of which were managed successfully with "very limited control resources."
The space agency declared the test a "complete success," stating that the launch operations for Ariane 6 are well-prepared and ready to proceed.
The meticulous rehearsal involved a full launch sequence simulation, incorporating countdown procedures like the removal of the mobile gantry and the filling and draining of the launcher's upper and core stage tanks with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen at extremely low temperatures.
ESA emphasized the flawless execution of the test, stating that the countdown proceeded exactly as planned. With this successful rehearsal, ESA expressed confidence in its readiness to proceed with the Ariane 6 launch.
The Ariane 6 project, although running approximately four years behind schedule, aims to launch in 2024, providing ESA with a heavy launch capability after the last Ariane 5 mission in July 2023.
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