Arianespace is looking to increase its launches in 2026 to between six and eight missions. The launch business says its 2026 manifest will include its latest 4-booster Ariane 64 variant.

The debut Ariane 6 rocket launch happened in July 2024 and an operational mission followed in March 2025. Recently it launched the Sentinel-1D government craft and it is planning a foutth launch before the end of the year when it will launch two Galileo GPS satellites into orbit.

European Space Flight reported on a post-flight conference following the launch of Sentinel-1D, when Arianespace CEO David Cavaillès stated that while the company preferred to wait until next year to reveal details about its 2026 launch manifest, it was aiming to double its launch cadence. He added that a cadence of between six and eight next year “will be great”.

Much will depend on customer demand, Cavaillès added: “We think at this cadence, taking into account the performance of Ariane 6, we can deliver a lot,” said Cavaillès. “If we need to go beyond […] if we think it’s relevant, let’s discuss it. I think that this is a market and a client that must drive our decision.”

Arianespace is expected to open its 2026 launch manifest with the debut of the more powerful four-booster variant of the rocket, the Ariane 64 variant. The flight will be the first of 18 missions Arianespace has been contracted to perform for Amazon’s Project Kuiper broadband constellation.

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Categories: Articles, Satellite

Tags: Ariane, Arianespace, Project Kuiper