Finally, Europe has regained independent access tospace.
The continent reestablisheda sovereign launch capacityon Tuesday with the maiden flight of the Ariane 6 rocket.
However, the mission didnt go entirely to plan.
The rocket then soared into the cosmos with a payload of satellites and experiments.
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Ariane 6 then released the fight batch of cargo.
But a problem struck before the final payloads could be delivered.
The launch team blamed an anomaly in the rockets upper-stage.
Nonetheless, they declared the overall mission a success.
Italsoclosed a dismal chapter for theEuropean Space Agency(ESA).
Since the retirement of Ariane 5 last July, Europe has relied on Elon MusksSpaceXto send satellites into orbit.
Thierry Breton, the EUs commissioner for the internal market, described the problem as an unprecedented crisis.
The arrival of Ariane 6 resolves that crisis.
Nonetheless, doubts about the rocket persist.
Critics have also questioned the launchers expendable build.
Among them is Musk, whose SpaceX rockets cuts costs and turnaround times by reusing their boosters.
Musk has advised competitors to follow a similar path.
No one would buy a single-use airplane, car or even bicycle!
Youd need to tow another car just for the return trip.
In response, ESA argued that a reusable design would be too expensive.
For now, ESA can at least celebrate renewed access to space.
The agency plans to make nine or 10 Ariane 6 launches per year.
Story byThomas Macaulay
Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.
He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.
Away from work, he e(show all)Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.
He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.
Away from work, he enjoys playing chess (badly) and the guitar (even worse).
