Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket lifted off carrying the satellites on July 9. The launch marked the return of Europe’s access to space. The launch was successful, but the mission ended with Ariane 6 entering orbit without releasing its final payload.
To protect “Europe’s return to space”, three French Rafale fighter jets were deployed to escort the rocket and prevent any “malicious intrusions” in the air. A video of Rafale escorting the rocket is now going viral on X.
In the photo taken from the cockpit of the fighter jet, the Rafale fighter jet is seen chasing a rocket as it takes off from the European Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana.
Mardi 9 July 2024, 16 August, your locale, La Fusée #Ariane6 I have been working for the Guyana Special Centre in Kourou. For the past six years I have been contributing to the security of “Operation Neverlogic”.
Try again and complete your mission with success. ?⤵️ pic.twitter.com/9lQEeHUBeK
– Armee de l’Air et de l’Espace (@Armee_de_lair) July 19, 2024
The fighters took off at several hundred feet above the ground and gained altitude as the launchers went into space. The Dassault Rafale has a service ceiling of 50,000 feet. The video shows the Rafales staying in a formation and breaking off in opposite directions.
The Ariane 6 rocket is powered by the Vinci engine – a new generation cryogenic engine that powers the upper stage of the Ariane 6 launcher. Vinci is designed to be restarted repeatedly, allowing the operator to place payloads in several different orbits.
The French Air and Space Force said it had brought in “three Rafales, two Eurocopter Fennecs and a Puma Infantry Fighting Vehicle from Germany to create a security bubble to protect the European Space Port from any malicious intrusions on the ground and in the air.”
The three Rafales deployed to the sea, the deux fennecs of l’ET 68 and the moyens of #LADThis device applies to our body to enable us to ensure a safe and secure European special port of all kinds of intrusions into the ground and in the air. pic.twitter.com/swkoPucIu3
– Armee de l’Air et de l’Espace (@Armee_de_lair) July 9, 2024
A minor problem in the morning caused an initial delay of an hour, then the rocket took off into clear skies.
The mission suffered a slight failure as the rocket veered off its trajectory towards the end of the flight, causing it to fail to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere and land in the Pacific Ocean.
But that did not dampen the enthusiasm of European space chiefs, who aim to put satellites into orbit.
When Ariane 6 was launched it brought with it the hope of European sovereignty in space.
Since the last flight of its predecessor, the Ariane 5, a year ago, Europe has had to rely on rivals such as Elon Musk’s US company SpaceX.
Ariane 6, selected by ESA in 2014, will be capable of placing satellites into geostationary orbit 36,000 kilometres above Earth, as well as satellite constellations a few hundred kilometres above.
– With inputs from AFP
