Europe's 'Ariane 6' rocket launches into space

The rocket lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, and is operated by French company Arianespace on behalf of the European Space Agency. Ariane 6 made its debut with a test flight in July 2024, followed by a second mission in March this year.

On its latest flight, Ariane 6 carried Metop-SGA1, an 8,900-pound (4,040-kilogramme) weather satellite. The spacecraft was placed into a polar orbit about 500 miles (800 kilometres) above Earth 64 minutes after liftoff, Arianespace said on X.

After a checkout period, the satellite will start using its six onboard instruments to gather a variety of weather and climate data. The satellite has an expected operational life of 7.5 years.