Arianespace was planning to improve the upper stage of its huge Ariane 6 rocket, and use composite materials for their weight-saving benefits while remaining strong enough to carry their precious satellite cargoes.

Reportedly those plans – dubbed ICARUS – are in abeyance. A report from France (and reported by XploraSpace from SpaceScout research) says “the development of a composite upper stage designed to push Ariane 6 beyond its Block 2 configuration has reportedly been quietly paused following the 2025 ESA Ministerial Council. This decision refocuses efforts on ramping up Ariane 6’s production rate, its competitiveness, and the market’s immediate needs, while the technologies developed under Phoebus remain under study.”

The ICARUS development was intended to significantly lighten Ariane 6’s upper stage by replacing portions of its metal structures and tanks with carbon-fibre composite elements, reducing both mass and production costs.

The expected weight savings were set to boost performance, adding several tons of payload capacity depending on the mission, particularly to low Earth orbit, lunar orbit, or even interplanetary destinations.

This evolution was to form the core of the future Ariane 6 Block 3 version, also known as Ariane 6 Evo, but its funding and operational rollout were ultimately not prioritized in the directions emerging from CM25, according to internal documents.

The Ministerial Meeting reportedly favoured an approach focused on exploiting Ariane 6, allocating over €4.4 billion to space transportation activities, with goals of cost reduction, increased launch cadence, and enhanced competitiveness for European launchers.

The current Ariane 6 Block 2 configuration thus becomes the major upgrade currently being deployed, particularly through the new more powerful P160C boosters replacing the P120C: each booster carries up to 156 tons of solid propellant, about 10 percent more, enabling Ariane 64 to reach approximately 22 tons to low Earth orbit.

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Tags: Ariane, earth, Space