Another one: Ariane 6 flies with four boosters once more
European Space Agency • • general
Key Points:
- On 30 April 2026, Ariane 6 successfully launched for the seventh time, using four P120C boosters to carry 32 Amazon Leo satellites into low-Earth orbit from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
- The rocket lifted off at 05:57 local time, with satellite separation completed after 114 minutes, followed by a third upper stage firing to ensure safe deorbit and adherence to a zero debris policy.
- Using four boosters instead of two doubles Ariane 6’s payload capacity to approximately 21.6 tonnes to low Earth orbit, with the P120C boosters being among the most powerful one-piece motors globally.
- The 20-meter-long fairing used on this flight housed the 32 satellites and is notably large, capable of fitting very large payloads.
- The Ariane 6 program is led by ArianeGroup with ESA overseeing development and launch operations, supported by a network across 13 European countries to ensure reliability and continuous improvement.
