Credit: Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace
Arianespace is aiming to double its Ariane 6 launch cadence in 2026, with between six and eight missions planned. The European launch provider will open its 2026 manifest with the first flight of the more powerful four-booster variant of the rocket.
The inaugural flight of the Ariane 6 rocket took place in July 2024, followed by its first operational mission in March 2025, which carried the CSO-3 spy satellite to orbit for the French Armed Forces. With the successful launch of Sentinel-1D earlier this week, Ariane 6 has now flown three times in 2025, with a fourth mission expected before the end of the year.
By comparison, the United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket, which also debuted in 2024, has flown only once so far in 2025. Following an unfortunate failed launch in March 2023, the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H3 rocket managed three flights in 2024 and, to date, has completed just two missions in 2025.
During a post-flight conference following the launch of Sentinel-1D, Arianespace CEO David Cavaillès stated that while the company preferred to wait until next year to reveal details about its 2026 launch manifest, it was aiming to double its launch cadence. He added that a cadence of between six and eight next year “will be great.”
If the company does manage eight Ariane 6 flights in 2026, it will already be close to reaching the stated maximum launch cadence of between nine and ten flights per year. When asked if this cadence could be increased, Cavaillès explained that the decision would be driven by customer demand.
“We think at this cadence, taking into account the performance of Ariane 6, we can deliver a lot,” said Cavaillès. “If we need to go beyond… if we think it’s relevant, let’s discuss it. I think that this is a market and a client that must drive our decision.”
The last flight of 2025 will carry a pair of Galileo satellites to orbit aboard an Ariane 62 for the European Commission. Arianespace is then expected to open its 2026 launch manifest with the debut of the more powerful four-booster variant of the rocket, known as the Ariane 64. The flight will be the first of 18 missions Arianespace has been contracted to perform for Amazon’s Project Kuiper constellation.
During the Sentinel-1D post-flight press conference, Toni Tolker-Nielsen, Acting Director of Space Transportation Systems at ESA, explained that 2026 would also see the introduction of a set of Ariane 6 upgrades known as Block 2. The upgrades include larger boosters and a more powerful upper-stage engine, which Tolker-Nielsen said would add around two tonnes of performance to missions to low Earth orbit
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