Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket successfully placed a French military satellite into orbit Thursday, marking a milestone for the continent’s independent access to space and boosting its defense capabilities amid shifting geopolitical alliances.
The heavy-lift rocket lifted off from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, just before 1:30 p.m. local time (1630 GMT) after multiple delays, including a last-minute postponement on Monday.
Around an hour after launch, the control center erupted in applause as the rocket successfully deployed the CSO-3 satellite into orbit at an altitude of approximately 800 kilometers (500 miles) above Earth.
The mission's success ensures Europe can now independently launch large satellites for the first time since Russia withdrew its Soyuz rockets following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Ariane 6 was originally scheduled for its maiden flight in 2020, but repeated setbacks delayed its first launch until July 2023.
The launch comes as Europe seeks to bolster its defenses amid uncertainty over continued U.S. support under President Donald Trump.
French General Philippe Steininger noted that Europe currently has only 10 military satellites—five French and five Italian—compared to "hundreds" deployed by the United States and China.
"Europe must ensure its own security," said Toni Tolker-Nielsen, the European Space Agency’s space transportation director, earlier this week in Kourou.
He emphasized the need to increase annual Ariane 6 launches to 12, up from the five planned for this year.
A prior attempt to launch the mission Monday was halted just 30 minutes before liftoff due to a faulty valve on one of the refueling pipes, Arianespace said. Other launch attempts in December and February were also postponed.
Delays are common for new rockets. SpaceX’s Starship, the world’s largest rocket, is also scheduled for a test flight later Thursday after a last-minute postponement on Monday.
Europe’s space industry has struggled to remain competitive against Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which has become increasingly dominant in satellite launches.
Musk, a key advisor to Trump, is expected to play an even greater role in U.S. space efforts moving forward.
With Ariane 6 delays, Europe briefly lost its independent access to space after Ariane 5 was retired in 2023, Russia withdrew its Soyuz rockets, and an accident grounded the smaller Vega-C launcher for two years.
But with Vega-C resuming flights in December and Ariane 6 now operational, European space efforts are looking to regain momentum.
Given the military nature of the CSO-3 satellite, heavy security was deployed at the spaceport, with French fighter jets patrolling the surrounding airspace.
Arnaud Prost, a French pilot and European Space Agency reserve astronaut, was flying a surveillance plane above the launchpad when Monday’s launch was postponed.
A successful Ariane 6 launch is "an important step for the independence of France and Europe's access to space," he told AFP.
"At the moment, Europe needs to find projects that bring us together," he said. "Space exploration is a unique opportunity to do this."
