The Ariane 6 has successfully completed its maiden flight with four solid-fuel boosters. The rocket launched today from the European launch site in Kourou, French Guiana, and placed 32 satellites for Amazon Leo (formerly Kuiper), Amazon’s broadband constellation, into low Earth orbit.
The successful launch of the four-booster version marks another milestone in the success story of Europe’s heavy-lift rocket. In this more powerful configuration, the Ariane 6 can carry approximately 20 tons of payload into space—nearly twice as much as with just two boosters.
Today's launch was the first for a commercial customer and also the first in a series: Amazon has booked 17 more flights to build out its communications network.
“With this launch, Ariane 6 has confirmed its role as an internationally competitive launch vehicle,” says Ulrich Scheib, CEO of MT Aerospace AG. “The launch rate will continue to rise steadily in the coming years. That is why we have adapted our processes for series production to support the industrialization of spaceflight.”
MT Aerospace manufactures tanks and structural components for the Ariane 6 and, with a 10 percent share of the work, is one of the program’s largest suppliers. The company has been a wholly owned subsidiary of the OHB Group since October 2025.