Arianespace will launch its final Ariane 5 rocket on June 16th. The mission aims to launch two satellites: Syracuse 4B, built by Airbus Defence and Space for a French government defence role, and the Heinrich-Hertz-Mission, built by OHB for the German space agency DLR.

The flight represents the end of the Ariane 5, a system which has launched 116 times.

Syracuse 4B will provide communications for the French armed forces.

The Heinrich-Hertz craft will test and evaluate new technologies for satellite communication, including on-board communications processing.

However, the long and illustrious series of missions for Ariane 5 (its last launch failure was back in 2002) now means an inevitable gap in European heavy-lift launching. Its replacement, the much-delayed Ariane 6 craft (pictured), seems not likely to make a debut test flight until the early part of 2024.

A recent report from the key partners in Ariane 6’s development suggests that assembly of the new rocket will not start until November this year.

Other posts by :

1. Shotwell makes TIME front cover
2. Suitors eye Globalstar
3. SpaceX: IPO offer in days?
4. New Brittin, new BBC?
5. Forecast: SpaceX tracking to $20bn revenue in 2026
6. EchoStar’s Dish restructures debt obligations
7. AsiaSat hits Zee and JioStar with legal actions
8. Nvidia unveils orbital chip/computer for AI and data
9. Space Sector: ‘Profound Acceleration in 2026’

Categories: Articles, Satellite

Tags: Airbus, Ariane, Ariane 6, Arianespace, satellite