![](\"http:\/\/www.esa.int\/var\/esa\/storage\/images\/esa_multimedia\/images\/2015\/08\/ariane_6_and_vega_c_artist_s_views\/15553645-2-eng-GB\/Ariane_6_and_Vega_C_artist_s_views_small.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\nESA signed contracts for the development of the Ariane 6 new\u2011generation launcher, its launch base and the Vega C evolution of the current ESA small launcher, on 12 August 2015.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe contracts, signed at ESA\u2019s Paris Head Office with Airbus Safran Launchers (ASL), France\u2019s CNES space agency and ELV, respectively, cover all development work on Ariane 6 and its launch base for a maiden flight in 2020, and on Vega C for its 2018 debut.\n<\/p>\n
\nESA is overseeing procurement and the architecture of the overall launch systems, while industry is developing the rockets, with ASL as prime contractor and design authority for Ariane 6, and ELV for Vega C.\n<\/p>\n
\nASL and ELV are working closely together on the P120C solid-propellant motor that will form Vega C\u2019s first stage and Ariane\u2019s strap-on boosters.\n<\/p>\n
\nAriane\u2019s modular approach will offer either two boosters (Ariane 62) or four boosters (Ariane 64), depending on the required performance.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe site of the launch pad for Ariane 6 at Europe\u2019s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana has been chosen, and prime contractor CNES is already excavating the site. The new complex will also include facilities for preparing the launcher.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe three contracts follow the decision taken at the ESA Council meeting at Ministerial level held in Luxemburg in December 2014 to maintain Europe\u2019s leadership in the fast-changing commercial launch service market while responding to the needs of European institutional missions.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe contract amounts are: \u20ac2400 million for Ariane 6 (ASL), \u20ac600 million for the launch base (CNES) and \u20ac395 million for Vega C (ELV).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\nESA signed contracts for the development of the Ariane 6 new\u2011generation launcher, its launch base and the Vega C evolution of the current ESA small launcher, on 12 August 2015.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe contracts, signed at ESA\u2019s Paris Head Office with Airbus Safran Launchers (ASL), France\u2019s CNES space agency and ELV, respectively, cover all development work on Ariane 6 and its launch base for a maiden flight in 2020, and on Vega C for its 2018 debut.\n<\/p>\n
\nESA is overseeing procurement and the architecture of the overall launch systems, while industry is developing the rockets, with ASL as prime contractor and design authority for Ariane 6, and ELV for Vega C.\n<\/p>\n
\nASL and ELV are working closely together on the P120C solid-propellant motor that will form Vega C\u2019s first stage and Ariane\u2019s strap-on boosters.\n<\/p>\n
\nAriane\u2019s modular approach will offer either two boosters (Ariane 62) or four boosters (Ariane 64), depending on the required performance.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe site of the launch pad for Ariane 6 at Europe\u2019s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana has been chosen, and prime contractor CNES is already excavating the site. The new complex will also include facilities for preparing the launcher.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe three contracts follow the decision taken at the ESA Council meeting at Ministerial level held in Luxemburg in December 2014 to maintain Europe\u2019s leadership in the fast-changing commercial launch service market while responding to the needs of European institutional missions.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe contract amounts are: \u20ac2400 million for Ariane 6 (ASL), \u20ac600 million for the launch base (CNES) and \u20ac395 million for Vega C (ELV).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":615444,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-232273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-multimedia"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=232273"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232273\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/615444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=232273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=232273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=232273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}