Aviation Week reports, “In a relatively complex mission, the first Ariane 6 medium- to heavy-lift launcher placed payloads into orbit in its debut flight July 9 and partially demonstrated its technology features. In a two-booster version, the so-called Ariane 62 lifted off at 4 p.m. local time (3 p.m. EDT) from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
First launch of ESA’s Ariane 6 heavy-lift rocket
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)
Aviation Week reports, “After last year’s announcement of the June 15-30 window for the first flight of the Ariane 6 rocket, the European Space Agency has set a launch date of July 9 for the delayed program. European Space Agency (ESA) Director General Josef Aschbacher made the announcement June 5 at the ILA Berlin air…”
Full Story (Aviation Week – Subscription Publication)
Aviation Week reports that SpaceX “launched the same Falcon 9 rocket for a record 16th time on July 9 and then landed the first stage, paving the way for a possible 17th flight.” The booster first “flew in May 2020 to send NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on their way to the International Space Station.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Starlink Mission
On Sunday, July 9 at 11:58 p.m. ET, a SpaceX Falcon 9 launched 22 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida.
(SpaceX; YouTube)