Ariane 6: what is it?

Ariane 6 is a family comprising two launchersAriane 62 and Ariane 64, whose development started in 2016. It will be commissioned in the course of 2023, or even 2022, to succeed the current Ariane 5. If this new launcher was designed to guarantee continuity of European access to space, it was decided in a particular context in order to respond to the very aggressive commercial offers of SpaceX with its launchers Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy.

During the first years of operation, the objective is to offer launch prices 50% lower than those of Ariane 5, then to lower them further in a second phase. Thus, the Ariane 62 (i.e. with two boosters), which is intended for institutional launches, will be offered at 70 million euros and up to 96 million for the Ariane 64 (4 boosters, therefore ) with a double launch capacity and 10.5 tons in transfer orbit geostationary.

A versatile and modular launcher

Built on theAriane 5 legacy, and the Vega-C experience, Ariane 6 will be modular to meet most European institutional and commercial needs. About 60 meters high and 5.4 meters in diameter, the two versions of Ariane 6 will be identical except for the number of boosters. Concretely, they will use a main stage, which will not be reusable, with independent LOX/LH2 tanks and an improved version of the current Vulcain fromAriadne 5.

This engine was kept for reasons of development delays. It will nevertheless undergo a small facelift and will become Vulcain 2.1. The main modifications concern the divergent and a simplification of the tank pressurization system. Another point of evolution, the ignition of the engine will be done by the ground. There will therefore no longer be an igniter in the launcher as is the case on Ariane 5. As for the upper stage, it is the reignitable Vinci engine (developed for Ariane 5ME which will never see the light of day) surmounted by a headdress of 5.4 meters. The Ariane 6 auxiliary boosters, the P120, will be the same as the launcher will also use Vega C as the main floor.

Ariane 6 will be the launcher of the Ariane sector the least innovative. Although he is often presented as a launcher low-costAriane 6 will call on new technologiessuch as the use of an opto-pyrotechnic detonator, additive manufacturing (or 3d printing), friction-stir welding, as well as revised avionics.

This development approach differs from that which led to Ariane 5. At the time, the need was to develop the European space industry so that it would become a reference at world level (“ techno driven “). With Ariane 6, the costs of use and development are the main criteria, hence the choice of a launcher “ cost driven which should make it possible to achieve the launch cost objective 50% lower than that of the current Ariane 5.