Latest news with #DavidCavailloles
Khaleej Times
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Europe's Ariane 6 rocket launch postponed due to 'anomaly'
Minutes before it was scheduled to launch, the first commercial mission of Europe's new heavy-lift rocket Ariane 6 was called off on Monday due to an "anomaly" on the ground. It was the latest of several postponements for the rocket as Europe seeks to secure independent access to space amid a shock rapprochement between Moscow and Washington. The launch had been scheduled to blast off from Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana at 1.24 pm on Monday. While there had been some scattered rain in Kourou, teams on the ground had received the green light until just minutes before blast off. But after an "anomaly" on the ground was detected, "the only possible decision now is to postpone the launch," said David Cavailloles, the head of the French company Arianespace which operates the rocket. "I have no doubt that we will have another flight again soon," he added. The launch was postponed as Europe seeks to reduce its reliance on the United States for security — and the European space industry struggles to remain competitive with Elon Musk's SpaceX. The launcher was intended to place a French military satellite in orbit at an altitude of around 800 kilometres above Earth. Europe has not been able to use Russia's Soyuz rockets since Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022, while the workhorse Ariane 5 was retired in 2023. 'We must be united' The mission had taken on greater symbolic significance after the administration of new US President Donald Trump initiated a surprise rapprochement with Russia, prompting European nations to close ranks. "Europe must ensure its own security," ESA space transportation director Toni Tolker-Nielsen told a press conference in Kourou before the postponement was announced. "We must be united," Cavailloles said, stressing the importance of "not depending on anyone else" to launch satellites "in today's world". The space industry has been experiencing major upheaval — and more is expected after SpaceX's billionaire founder Elon Musk recently became a prominent advisor to Trump. "The concept of strategic autonomy, once mocked as a French whim, is at the heart of the Europe of tomorrow," France's research minister Philippe Baptiste told local media. "The number of launches has exploded — not only American, but also Chinese," said French General Philippe Steininger, a consultant at the space research institute CNES. Initially planned for December, the Ariane 6 mission was delayed until February 26 and then to March 3. The next launch date is not yet known. The mission is to take the CSO-3 satellite into space. CSO-3 will complete a network of three French military imaging satellites, with the first two launched in 2018 and 2020 on Soyuz rockets. Heavy security The satellites have "orbiting cameras that take images in both visible and infrared light all over the globe, which is very important for military operations," Michel Sayegh, the head of the French government's armament agency DGA, told AFP. Given the military role of the satellite, strict security precautions were taken to limit access at the spaceport on the northern coast of South America, with French fighter jets deployed to patrol the surrounding skies. Europe's smaller Vega-C launcher was earlier grounded for two years due to an accident that resulted in the loss of two satellites, only resuming flights in December 2024. The mishap left Europe without a way to launch satellites into orbit for a year, following delays to Ariane 6 and the end of cooperation with Russia. Europe has only a handful of military satellites, compared to the hundreds of the United States and China.
Daily Tribune
02-03-2025
- Science
- Daily Tribune
European satellite launcher set for first commercial blast off
AFP | Paris After several postponements, Europe's Ariane 6 launcher will carry out its first commercial mission on Monday when it puts a French military intelligence satellite into space. The launch from the Kourou base in French Guiana is key to Europe's efforts to build up its security autonomy amid the shocks caused by the US-Russia diplomatic rapprochement. 'The whole world is watching us,' Arianespace chief executive David Cavailloles told AFP this month. Ariane 5 was retired in 2023 and Europe has not been able to use Russia's Soyuz rocket for satellite launches since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Asharq Al-Awsat
01-03-2025
- Science
- Asharq Al-Awsat
European Satellite Launcher Set for First Commercial Blast Off
After several postponements, Europe's Ariane 6 launcher will carry out its first commercial mission on Monday when it puts a French military intelligence satellite into space. The launch from the Kourou base in French Guiana is key to Europe's efforts to build up its security autonomy amid the shocks caused by the US-Russia diplomatic rapprochement. "The whole world is watching us," Arianespace chief executive David Cavailloles told AFP this month. Ariane 5 was retired in 2023 and Europe has not been able to use Russia's Soyuz rocket for satellite launches since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Ariane 6 underwent a successful test in July last year and is scheduled to carry out five launches this year. First scheduled in December, the launch was put back until February 26 and then March 3 because of problems getting the satellite to the Kourou base, according to Arianespace. "All launches have risks. Problems can happen with the launcher, with the satellite. We make sure that everything is ready and if it needs a few extra weeks, a few extra months, it is not a problem," said Lionel Suchet, head of France's National Center for Space Studies (CNES). Given the military role of the satellite being put into space, strict security precautions are being taken to limit access at the base while three Rafale fighter jets will patrol the surrounding skies. "The satellite has to be protected. It has special instruments that must not be seen by just anybody," said Catherine Leveau, CNES director of space transport. The CSO-3 satellite will complete a network of three French military satellites, with the first two launched in 2018 and 2020 by Soyuz. The satellites "strengthen" France's military autonomy, according to CNES defence consultant Philippe Steininger. Some of the images taken by CSO-3 will be shared with the German and Belgian militaries that have invested in the satellites. Sweden also has access to some images in exchange for letting France use its space research center near the Arctic town of Kiruna.
