Ariane 6 Completes First Commercial Launch, Restoring European Space Autonomy
The European rocket successfully placed a French military satellite into orbit after multiple delays, marking a pivotal step for Europe's independent access to space.
- Ariane 6 launched from French Guiana, carrying the CSO-3 military observation satellite for France's Ministry of Defense.
- This marks the first commercial mission for Ariane 6, nine months after its inaugural flight in July 2024.
- The mission underscores Europe's regained ability to independently access space after halting Russian Soyuz launches in 2022 due to the Ukraine conflict.
- The CSO-3 satellite completes France's optical reconnaissance constellation, enhancing military intelligence and surveillance capabilities.
- European officials emphasized the importance of increasing Ariane 6 launch capacity to reduce reliance on non-European systems like SpaceX.
Le Point 
Le Monde 