Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket blasts off on first commercial mission

Europe’s new heavy-lift rocket Ariane 6 blasted off on its first commercial mission Thursday, carrying with it the continent’s hopes of bolstering its security and independent access to space.

After several delays including a last-minute postponement on Monday, the rocket carrying a French military satellite launched from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana just before 1.30pm.

Around an hour later, the control room burst into applause as Ariane 6 put the satellite into orbit, an online broadcast showed.

The high-profile mission comes as Europe seeks to strengthen its defences amid doubts it can still rely on the United States as a security partner under new US President Donald Trump.

A previous attempt on Monday was called off just 30 minutes before launching due to a dysfunctional valve on one of the refuelling pipes, operator Arianespace said.

Previous attempts to launch the mission in December and February were also scrubbed.