Artist's view of the configuration of Ariane 6 using two boosters (A62) on the ELA-4 launch pad together with it's mobile gantry.
The mobile gantry is a 90 metre-high mobile metallic structure weighing 8200 tonnes when fully equipped. It rolls on rails and is equipped with platforms so that engineers can access the appropriate launcher levels for integration on the launch pad. The gantry is moved away just before launch.
The overarching aim of Ariane 6 is to provide guaranteed access to space for Europe at a competitive price without requiring public sector support for exploitation.
The targeted payload performance of Ariane 6 is over 4.5 t for polar/Sun-synchronous orbit missions at 800 km altitude and the injection of two first-generation Galileo satellites. Ariane 6 can loft a payload mass of 4.5–10.5 tonnes in equivalent geostationary transfer orbit.
The exploitation cost of the Ariane 6 launch system is its key driver. Launch service costs will be halved, while maintaining reliability by reusing the trusted engines of Ariane 5.
For the latest news on Ariane 6 visit http://ariane6.esa.int/