The inaugural launch of the Ariane 6 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana took place on 9 July.

This launch sets the stage for the planned deployment of the Galileo Second Generation (G2) satellites in 2026, which will use electric propulsion and host advanced features such as a more powerful navigation antenna, better atomic clocks, and fully digital payloads.

The inaugural flight, named VA262, is a demonstration flight aimed at testing the capabilities of the rocket in escaping Earth’s gravity and operating in space.