The European Space Agency (ESA) has reached an agreement on the conditions for using ArianeGroup's Ariane 6 rocket and what type of missions the agency would launch on the rocket. The agreement will enable ArianeGroup to proceed with production of the Ariane 6. The ESA and ArianeGroup have 14 missions planned for the Ariane 6, half of which are for public sector customers. In a press release issued today, ESA's Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain said: "The signing today is another important step in our cooperation between Europe and Russia. ArianeGroup CEO Andre-Hubert Roussel said the ESA's agreement has alleviated its concerns over having enough demand for full-scale production.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has reached an agreement on the conditions for using ArianeGroup's Ariane 6 rocket and what type of missions the agency would launch on the rocket. The agreement will enable ArianeGroup to proceed with production of the Ariane 6. The ESA and ArianeGroup have 14 missions planned for the Ariane 6, half of which are for public sector customers. However, to date, only three launches have been ordered by European governments. ArianeGroup CEO Andre-Hubert Roussel said the ESA's agreement has alleviated its concerns over having enough demand for full-scale production.