Ariane 6 Rocket to Conduct Crucial Engine Test Today – How to Watch Live
Europe’s next-generation heavy-lift rocket, the Ariane 6, is set to conduct a crucial engine test today that will be a major milestone on its path to a maiden flight.
The test will see an Ariane 6 test vehicle fire its single Vulcain 2.1 engine for 470 seconds, which is the same duration it would burn during an operational launch. The hot-fire test is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. EST at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
Viewers can watch the test live on Space.com, courtesy of the European Space Agency, or directly via ESA. Coverage will begin at 3:10 p.m. EST.
The Ariane 6 is Europe’s next-generation heavy-lifter and is intended to replace the Ariane 5 rocket, which retired after more than 100 successful launches. However, the Ariane 6 has faced several delays, pushing its debut liftoff to 2024.
Today’s engine test is a crucial step in reaching that goal. The test will reenact how the Ariane 6 core stage will fire during a normal flight into space and will be the longest ‘full-stack’ run yet for Ariane 6’s lower liquid propulsion module equipped with a Vulcain 2.1 engine.
If successful, the engine will burn through nearly 165 tons of propellant during the trial. This won’t be the first time the Ariane 6 has fired up its main engine, as a test-firing of the Vulcain 2.1 was conducted on Sept. 5 during an Ariane 6 launch rehearsal on the pad at Kourou.
The Ariane 6 test vehicle will fire its single Vulcain 2.1 engine for 470 seconds as long as it would burn during an operational launch on the pad at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Today’s test is a crucial step in the Ariane 6’s path to a maiden flight and viewers can watch it live at 3:30 p.m. EST.