The European Space Agency agreed to subsidize the “unprofitable” newest Ariane 6 rocket

Already next year, the first launch of the newest European rocket Ariane 6, which will replace Ariane 5, may take place. The launch vehicle is being developed in two versions (light and heavy) and will be designed to launch a payload to LEO and GPO.

As ESA Director Joseph Aschbacher recently stated, the exact date for the first launch of the promising launch vehicle can be announced after the November tests of the Vulcain 2.1 first stage engine. At the same time, the official expressed hope that the rocket will make its first flight “not too late.”

It is worth noting that one of the main goals of creating a replacement for Ariane 5 was the need for a carrier that could achieve self-sufficiency in launches. However, according to Aschbacher, this point could not be implemented.

As a result, in order to maintain the operation of an “unprofitable” new rocket, subsidizing its launches will be required.

According to the French newspaper Les Echos, officials from the European Space Agency managed to agree on additional funding. According to the agreement reached, support in the amount of 290 to 340 million euros will be allocated for launches from 16 to 42.

In turn, according to data published by ArsTechnica, since 2021, the promising carrier is already receiving subsidies in the amount of 140 million euros per year.

Comments

[tralflot1832]

Is Elon Musk really putting a spoke in Ariane’s wheels so that they start subsidizing her? Here’s a bad boy who has finally found a weak link.

[Rumata]

Quote: tralflot1832

Elon Musk is putting a spoke in Ariane's wheels,

The accounting records to which Russian rocket scientists argued that reusable rockets are not economically viable and fought off such projects with their hands and feet are not publicly available.
They have a number of advantages and a lot of disadvantages.

[Romario_Argo]

you don’t take into your calculations the reusable Korona launch vehicle from Makeev Design Bureau
she's definitely not unprofitable
this is no longer a launch vehicle - but an aerospace ship
there are projects to scale and increase the load capacity from 7 tons to 50 tons (Angara A5)
here is something else - jobs and package support for production, factories - the economy (!)
RN Corona is not tied to spaceports

[MBRSS]

you don’t take into your calculations the reusable Korona launch vehicle from Makeev Design Bureau

Why take into account something that does not exist and, perhaps, will never exist?

[Romario_Argo]

will never

in general, our future lies in reusable spacecraft,
and the WORLD will come to this anyway

[Blackmokona]

Quote: Romario_Argo

will never

in general, our future lies in reusable spacecraft,
and the WORLD will come to this anyway

There development goes on and on, but there is not even an engine.

[Commissar Kitten]

Quote: Rumata

in which Russian rocket scientists argued that reusable rockets are not economically viable and fought off such projects with their hands and feet

The fact that the Amur-LNG launch vehicle being developed involves the use of a reusable first stage (like the Falcon 9), can be considered an admission by Russian rocket scientists of the inconsistency of their arguments about the economic inexpediency of reusable rockets?

And also Krylo-SV. And also the Crown (//in order of decreasing likelihood of ever seeing them embodied in iron).

[APASUS]

Quote: tralflot1832

Is Elon Musk really putting a spoke in Ariane’s wheels so that they start subsidizing her?

If Musk hadn’t existed, it would have been worth inventing him. One of Musk’s goals concerns the EU’s space program, to bring it to zero, and I must say he’s succeeding. Arians is already in the red ............ .......

[credo]

Someone will definitely be sarcastic and laugh at both the unprofitability and ESA’s subsidization of its own space program, they say, what klutzes.

And someone will remember how, before the collapse and after the collapse of the USSR, none of the high-ranking heads of the relevant ministries and departments of the USSR and Russia defended our machine tool industry, mechanical engineering, aircraft and automotive industry, agriculture and most of the then industries from destruction and plunder and is completely justified will object that if we then had such klutzes as in the ESA, who would fight for their industries, and not destroy them at the root, today’s Russia would definitely not have to revive most industries from scratch, incurring huge costs and facing incredible obstacles from the outside called "partners".

There is a lot for domestic “effective managers” to learn from ESA officials.

[Azim77]

Quote: credo

Someone will definitely be sarcastic and laugh at both the unprofitability and ESA’s subsidization of its own space program, they say, what klutzes.

Of course, managers at different levels are responsible for different programs, but if you look at the general line of the “green party” in the EU, it is not entirely clear where the fuel for the planned launches will come from and it is clear why the industry is becoming subsidized.

With expensive fuel, no matter how you make the rocket more economical or technologically advanced, the output of 1 kg will be more expensive than that of a country where the fuel is cheaper.

[Rumata]

Few words in the comment, a lot of information.

[MBRSS]

Few words in the comment, a lot of information.

It's hard to make out anything on this blurry poster. It is necessary to provide a link to the original source.

[spirit]

which could achieve self-sufficiency in launches

The Ariane family is an expensive rocket, and with modern competition in launch vehicles, this idea is strange in itself. But the rocket is reliable, the hefty James Webb Telescope launched the Ariane.

[Tusv]

Quote: spirit

But the rocket is reliable, the hefty James Webb Telescope was launched by Ariane.

Well, yes. This is not giving up the Unions, but two years of painstaking work on one launch, to the detriment of oneself

[Rumata]

Quote: spirit

The Ariane family is an expensive rocket

Theoretically, the cheapest option is an air launch. But riveting a supersonic carrier for a couple of thousand tons of payload is quite difficult.))) The runway will be 20 kilometers long.))))

[Blackmokona]

Quote: Rumata

Quote: spirit

The Ariane family is an expensive rocket

Theoretically, the cheapest option is an air launch. But riveting a supersonic carrier for a couple of thousand tons of payload is quite difficult.))) The runway will be 20 kilometers long.))))

In practice, the only air-launched launch vehicle in the world costs more than Falcon-9. At the same time, releasing two orders of magnitude less mass into space.

[French messenger]

subsidies are normal practice.

[MBRSS]

Commercial launches on a similar hangar are also unrealistic. Unless for “rogue countries” that are denied access to Falcon-9.