ESA Ariane-6 rocket with Swiss components successfully blasts into space

Europe's new rocket Ariane-6 set off at 9pm (Swiss time) on Tuesday from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The rocket's payload fairing, which protects the satellites during launch, was produced in a town in central Switzerland. The rocket, operated by the European Space Agency (ESA), aims to provide European countries with independent access to space for the first time in about a year, including launching satellites into orbit. Shortly before the planned maiden flight of the new European carrier rocket Ariane-6, ESA Director Josef Aschbacher expressed confidence. "Ariane-6 will take Europe into space," he said on Tuesday on X (formerly known as Twitter). "I feel a wide-range of emotions as we get ready to make an impact on European history, for Europe's future, for generations of Europeans." The new rocket has been waiting for its maiden launch for ten years. The inaugural flight set off at 9pm (Swiss time) on Tuesday, from the European spaceport in Kourou, French ...