Ariane 6's 2024 milestone

In 2024, a P120C-based version reached a milestone. Ariane 6 is described as Europe's newest heavy-lift rocket.

Ariane 6 is Europe's newest heavy-lift rocket and is described as lower cost than its predecessors.

The configuration pairs an upgraded main stage with two or four boosters and a restartable upper stage. It can deliver several missions to different orbits during one flight, and its upper stage is able to deorbit after mission completion.

Its height is 56-62 m, making it taller than the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It is listed at almost 900000 kg, equivalent to two fully loaded Boeing 747-8 airplanes.

The vehicle has a modular structure with three main portions and two booster types. The Ariane 62 uses two boosters, while the Ariane 64 uses four.

A P120C-based version is listed with a 2024 milestone. P160C rocket motors carry over 9% more propellant per booster.

For readers tracking launch services, Ariane 6 adds a European heavy-lift rocket described as lower cost than its predecessors. Its ability to carry multiple missions to different orbits on one flight, together with a restartable upper stage that can deorbit at the end of a mission, is relevant to mission design.