SpaceX's Starship spacecraft disintegrated soon after launch on Thursday, but thousands of miles away another new rocket enjoyed an easier ride on its first commercial mission.

European heavy-lift rocket deploys French military reconnaissance satellite, marking a pivotal moment for Europe's space autonomy.

The new European Ariane 6 rocket lifted off on Thursday for the first time on a commercial flight into space, carrying a French air force satellite. Live images showed the rocket lifting off from the ...

The 184-foot-tall (56-meter) rocket lifted off from Kourou, French Guiana, at 11:24 am EST (16:24 UTC). Twin solid-fueled boosters and a hydrogen-fueled core stage engine powered the Ariane 6 through ...

Want to keep your eye on the sky in 2025? Here's a look at the best space launches you can watch from the comfort of home.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Europe's powerful Ariane 6 rocket just launched for the second time ever. The Ariane 6 ...

Meanwhile, the retirement of the Ariane 5 in 2023 and delays to the new Vega-C small-launch vehicle left the continent without independent access to space. Europe was forced to rely on Elon Musk ...

Ariane 5 was retired in 2023 and Europe has not been able to use Russia's Soyuz rocket for satellite launches since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Ariane 6 underwent a successful test in July ...

Europe has not been able to use Russia's Soyuz rockets since Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022, while the workhorse Ariane 5 was retired in 2023. The mission had taken on greater symbolic ...

Europe launched its last Ariane-5 rocket from French Guiana on Wednesday, carrying two telecommunications satellites. Read more: Europe's Ariane-5 rocket completes final launch The three occupants ...

As Ariane-5 was not available and Vega-C not powerful enough, it took until Ariane-6 was commissioned two years later, as there was no question of launching this strategic satellite out of Kourou ...