First Ariane 6 with P160C-based boosters soars

Ariane 6 pierces through the clouds after liftoff, 17 June 2026.

Flight VA269 from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana is the most powerful Ariane 6 rocket so far and is equipped with boosters based on the upgraded P160C motor. It flew with four boosters, offering 14 tonnes more solid propellant per booster compared to the P120C motors used so far. The Ariane 6 launched 36 satellites for Amazon Leo, the third flight for the communications constellation.

Ariane 6 is a versatile rocket that can be configured and adapted to the needs of each mission it launches, and it was designed from the start for continuous upgrades. The heavy-lift rocket debuted in 2024 with two boosters based on the P120C motor. Its sixth launch in February 2026 Ariane 6 flew for the first time with four boosters. 

A single P160C solid-rocket motor holds 156 tonnes of propellant and is 14.5 m tall. In the runup to launch the P160C motor is turned into an Ariane 6 booster by adding aerodynamic fairing and other hardware such as connections specific for Ariane 6. Although P160C is a meter taller than the P120C motor, the additional height does not affect the connection to Ariane 6’s central core nor the height of the Ariane 6 booster as there is room in the fairing to accommodate the height increase.

Ariane 6 is used its long fairing – a nose cone that splits vertically into two – for this flight. This 20-m tall fairing houses the 36 Amazon Leo satellites, but is tall enough to fit four giraffes standing on each other’s shoulders.

Ariane 6 is Europe’s newest heavy-lift rocket, designed to provide great power and flexibility at a lower cost than its predecessors. The rocket provides Europe with greater efficiency and an ensures access to space for the benefits of humankind, allowing for all types of missions from exploration to navigation, science and communications.  

[Image description: a plume of flames and smoke extends from the white Ariane 6 rocket as it pierces through a cloud-covered sky.]