The Ariane 6 rocket, Europe's newest launcher, has completed its final wet dress rehearsal at the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana, signaling the final milestone before its inaugural launch in July.
The first flight model of the Ariane 6 on the pad for a wet dress rehearsal June 20, the final milestone before its July 9 launch. Credit: ESA
The wet dress rehearsal is a standard test for new launch vehicles that allows teams to fine-tune their operations up until liftoff. During the test, the rocket was loaded with 180 tons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellants, and the countdown stopped just before engine ignition.
The rehearsal began with the rollout of the Ariane 6 mobile gantry, followed by the pumping of fuel into the rocket. The fueling process took about 3.5 hours, as the pipes, valves, tanks, and engines needed to be cooled down to the cryogenic temperatures of the propellants.
The teams conducted every step of the launch operation, including the rollout of the mobile gantry, fueling, and running the ground control software. The data from the rehearsal is currently being analyzed, with results expected on June 26.
The Ariane 6 rocket is scheduled to launch on July 9 and will carry a varied selection of payloads, including satellites, experiments, and reentry demonstrations. The rocket's first passengers arrived in Kourou in May, and its payload deployers will be used for Earth observation, technology demonstrations, and science missions.
The Ariane 6 was designed to secure Europe's independent access to space and will serve as a heavy-lift rocket for future missions.
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