ESA Sets Schedule For Ariane 6 Test Campaign

This morning, ESA provided an update on the Ariane 6 test campaign which is ongoing at the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou. Please note that any future dates are valid at the time of wiring and are subject change.

First, we have to rewind to July when the team conducted a propellant loading test. They managed to complete 90% of their objectives in the countdown, while smoothing out the countdown operation for the Ariane 6 launcher.  However, they were unable to proceed with the short-duration hot fire test.

With the delay to the short-duration hot fire test, ESA says they are now targeting August 29th for the test “after a necessary reconfiguration of the ground system”. This will involve running through the full propellant loading countdown procedure previously mentioned, but this time igniting the Vulcain engine on the Ariane 6 core stage for a short burn. This will allow the team to familiarise themselves with the entire countdown leading up to T-0 and ignition, before moving into a long duration test.

Credit: ESA/DLR

Next up we have the upper stage Hot Fire Test 3 (HFT-3) at the German DLR’s test facility in Lampoldshausen, Germany. This is scheduled for September 1st (tentatively). It will be followed later in September (NET September 26th) by the long awaited long-duration hot fire test of the Vulcan 2.1 engine on the Ariane 6 core stage in Kourou.

Credit: ESA - Manuel Pedoussaut

The hot fire testing is being conducted on a mockup Ariane 6, which will not fly. It will lead the way for a successful first launch of Ariane 6 in 2024. The flight-capable Ariane 6 will not conduct the same religious test campaign as this prototype has.

ESA will provide an update on the August 29th and September 1st(*) tests on September 4th in a media briefing. You can watch that briefing live on the TLP YouTube channel.