Paris: The Franco-German aerospace company ArianeGroup announced Friday its intention to double the number of Ariane 6 rocket launches this year.
According to Qatar News Agency, CEO Pierre Godard revealed that seven or eight launches are planned for 2026, following four launches last year. He noted that the company expects to increase its capacity to approximately 10 launches annually by 2027, with the possibility of further expansion if the market remains stable.
“We will invest if it is economically viable,” Godard said, adding that ArianeGroup currently has around 30 launches contracted, with some available dates in the coming years. The company is scheduled to launch the more powerful version of its Ariane 6 rocket in February. Equipped with four booster engines, it will be able to carry payloads of up to 20 tons.
The upcoming launch is expected to carry 32 satellites for Amazon’s low-Earth orbit (LEO) high-speed internet network, marking the first of 18 launches commissioned by the American tech giant.
