An hour and six minutes after its liftoff today, the new European rocket "Ariana 6" put the microsatellites it was carrying into orbit. This success in the first flight of the launch vehicle was met with thunderous applause and ecstatic shouts at the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana, reported Agence France-Presse, quoted by BTA.
"This is a historic day for the European Space Agency and for Europe," said ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher.
This success marks Europe's renewed capacity for autonomous access to space, but it will not be complete until the rocket's upper stage re-enters the atmosphere as planned, three hours after launch, AFP notes.