Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
On 17 June at 09:21 local time (13:21 BST, 14:21 CEST), Ariane 6 flight VA269 soared to orbit from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. 36 satellites for Amazon’s Leo constellation left Earth powered by four P160C-based boosters, the first time these upgraded boosters were used – making this launch the most powerful so far for Europe’s heavy-lift rocket.
The debut of the four new boosters based on the P160C solid-propellant rocket motor allowed 36 Leo satellites to be launched – four more than the two Leo launches Ariane 6 has delivered before.
The P160C solid-rocket motor holds 156 tonnes of propellant, 14 tonnes more than its predecessor P120C and is 14.5 m tall. In the runup to an Ariane 6 launch the P160C motor is turned into an Ariane 6 booster by adding aerodynamic fairing and other hardware such as connections specific for Ariane 6. Although P160C is a meter taller than the P120C motor, the additional height does not affect the connection to Ariane 6’s central core nor the height of the Ariane 6 booster as there is room in the fairing to accommodate the height increase.
Ariane 6 is the latest rocket in a long history of launchers to fly from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana – demonstrating the power of multinational cooperation for over five decades. Ariane 6 is Europe’s heavy-lift launcher and a key element of ESA’s efforts to ensure autonomous access to space for Europe’s citizens. Its modular and versatile design allows it to launch all types of missions, from low-Earth orbit to deep space. The new P160C boosters increase considerably performance, payload capacity and competitiveness, allowing for more satellites to be launched, further elevating the future of Europe.
Credits: ESA/CNES/Arianespace/ArianeGroup
Access the video on the ESA video library: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2026/06/First_Ariane_6_liftoff_with_most_powerful_boosters
Our main YouTube channel: youtube.com/@EuropeanSpaceAgency
We are Europe's gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
Copyright information about our videos is available here: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Terms_and_Conditions
On 17 June at 09:21 local time (13:21 BST, 14:21 CEST), Ariane 6 flight VA269 soared to orbit from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. 36 satellites for Amazon’s Leo constellation left Earth powered by four P160C-based boosters, the first time these upgraded boosters were used – making this launch the most powerful so far for Europe’s heavy-lift rocket.
The debut of the four new boosters based on the P160C solid-propellant rocket motor allowed 36 Leo satellites to be launched – four more than the two Leo launches Ariane 6 has delivered before.
The P160C solid-rocket motor holds 156 tonnes of propellant, 14 tonnes more than its predecessor P120C and is 14.5 m tall. In the runup to an Ariane 6 launch the P160C motor is turned into an Ariane 6 booster by adding aerodynamic fairing and other hardware such as connections specific for Ariane 6. Although P160C is a meter taller than the P120C motor, the additional height does not affect the connection to Ariane 6’s central core nor the height of the Ariane 6 booster as there is room in the fairing to accommodate the height increase.
Ariane 6 is the latest rocket in a long history of launchers to fly from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana – demonstrating the power of multinational cooperation for over five decades. Ariane 6 is Europe’s heavy-lift launcher and a key element of ESA’s efforts to ensure autonomous access to space for Europe’s citizens. Its modular and versatile design allows it to launch all types of missions, from low-Earth orbit to deep space. The new P160C boosters increase considerably performance, payload capacity and competitiveness, allowing for more satellites to be launched, further elevating the future of Europe.
Credits: ESA/CNES/Arianespace/ArianeGroup
Access the video on the ESA video library: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2026/06/First_Ariane_6_liftoff_with_most_powerful_boosters
Our main YouTube channel: youtube.com/@EuropeanSpaceAgency
We are Europe's gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
Copyright information about our videos is available here: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Terms_and_Conditions
