Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Ariane 6 rocket activates "barbecue mode"! This is a very real term in spaceflight and is when a rocket turns like a sausage during the launch!
This maneuver involves slowly rotating the launcher or its upper stage like a barbecue spit. This allows for more even distribution of solar radiation exposure across the entire surface of the vehicle.
In orbit, the space environment imposes extreme thermal contrasts: a side exposed to the Sun can reach very high temperatures, while the opposite side, plunged into shadow, experiences intense cold. Barbecue mode thus avoids imbalances and ensures a uniform temperature.
Barbecue mode isn't new to Ariane 6. It dates back to the Apollo missions, where astronauts used it to protect the command module.
Also, just look how fast that rocket jumps off the launch pad!
On 17 June, 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. This makes this launch the most powerful so far for Ariane 6.
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.
#Ariane #Ariane6 #ESA #Rocket #Launch #BBQ #BBQMode #Satellite
Ariane 6 rocket activates "barbecue mode"! This is a very real term in spaceflight and is when a rocket turns like a sausage during the launch!
This maneuver involves slowly rotating the launcher or its upper stage like a barbecue spit. This allows for more even distribution of solar radiation exposure across the entire surface of the vehicle.
In orbit, the space environment imposes extreme thermal contrasts: a side exposed to the Sun can reach very high temperatures, while the opposite side, plunged into shadow, experiences intense cold. Barbecue mode thus avoids imbalances and ensures a uniform temperature.
Barbecue mode isn't new to Ariane 6. It dates back to the Apollo missions, where astronauts used it to protect the command module.
Also, just look how fast that rocket jumps off the launch pad!
On 17 June, 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. This makes this launch the most powerful so far for Ariane 6.
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.
#Ariane #Ariane6 #ESA #Rocket #Launch #BBQ #BBQMode #Satellite
