Spinning Ariane 6 rocket showing four boosters it can use to rocket to space.

Ariane 6 is a three-stage launch vehicle with the boosters, main stage and then upper stage expending their propellant to reach orbit. The number of boosters and length of the tip of the rocket, called the fairing, can be adapted per mission.

Ariane 6 in its four-booster configuration doubles the rocket’s performance compared to the two-booster version that flew first in 2024. The P120C boosters used by Ariane 6 are one of the most powerful one-piece motors in production in the world. Flying with four boosters takes Ariane 6 to a whole new class of rockets. With the extra thrust from two more boosters Ariane 6 can take around 21.6 tonnes to low Earth orbit, more than double the 10.3 tonnes it could bring to orbit with just two boosters.