Ariane 6 full stage engine hot-fire test

Watch live as Europe’s new Ariane 6 rocket goes through a full-scale rehearsal in preparation for its first flight, when teams from @ArianeGroup, @CnesFrance and ESA on the ground will complete a launch countdown rehearsal. The test includes the ignition of the core stage Vulcain 2.1 engine, followed by 470 seconds of stabilised operation covering the entire core stage flight phase, as it would function on a launch into space. Coverage will start 19:40 UTC (20:40 CET), 20 minutes before engine ignition and continue five minutes after core stage operation, once the engine burns through all its propellant. For this rehearsal, the boosters will not be ignited, so Ariane 6 will stay firmly on the launch pad at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. The eight-minute engine-fire trial reenacts how the Ariane 6 core stage will fire during a normal flight into space. The trial, conducted with a test model on the launch pad at Europe’s Spaceport will be the longest ‘full-stack’ run yet for Arian