A troubled European rocket critical to the continent’s goal of reducing its reliance on Elon Musk’s SpaceX is set to thunder off a launchpad for only its third-ever mission.
The Ariane 6, which had its debut in July 2024 and is the centerpiece of Europe’s space ambitions, will be sending an Airbus SE-made satellite into a polar orbit for weather forecasting and climate monitoring. The launch in French Guiana is scheduled at 8:37 p.m. New York time on Tuesday.