Technicians work at the bottom of the launch pad pm Ariane 6 flight VA267 in French Guiana, 27 January 2026. This launch will be the first to fly with four boosters, doubling liftoff thrust for the launcher, and see Ariane 6 take satellites for Amazon’s Leo constellation to orbit
Ariane 6 launcher elements are manufactured in mainland Europe and then transported by ship and then trucks to Europe’s Spaceport.
The four boosters used on this flight are connected to the central core on the launch pad. The booster structures are produced in Italy and then filled with solid propellant at Europe’s Spaceport at their booster finishing facility. Ariane 6 flight VA267 will be the first flight to use four boosters to get to orbit. Each P120C solid rocket booster is 13.5 m long and 3.4 m in diameter. Filled with about 142 tonnes of solid propellant, they provide around 4500 kN of maximum thrust. Working together the boosters will provide the majority of the thrust during Ariane 6’s launch to get it off the launch pad.
The mobile building surrounding Ariane 6 is a 90-metre-high metallic structure that rolls away once assembly is complete to allow Ariane 6 a clear view of the sky and space. The building has platforms for technicians to further assemble Ariane 6 while also protecting the rocket until it is ready for launch.
Ariane 6 is Europe’s newest heavy-lift rocket, designed to provide great power and flexibility at a lower cost than its predecessors. The rocket provides Europe with greater efficiency and an ensures access to space for the benefits of humankind, allowing for all types of missions from exploration to navigation, science and communications.