WASHINGTON, Nov 30, (Agencies): The European Space Agency (ESA) revealed on Thursday that the inaugural launch of its highly anticipated Ariane 6 rocket is scheduled between June 15 and July 31 next year. Originally slated for liftoff in 2020, the rocket faced delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic and persistent technical challenges, leaving Europe without an autonomous means to launch substantial space missions.

During a press conference, ESA chief Josef Aschbacher announced the 2024 launch date range following a "complete success" in a recent dress rehearsal at Europe's spaceport in French Guiana. The rehearsal involved a firing of the launcher's Vulcain 2.1 engine, running for over seven minutes. Aschbacher hailed it as a significant day for European space endeavors, expressing confidence that a more precise launch date would be disclosed in March or April 2024.

Philippe Baptiste, head of the French space agency CNES, emphasized that the determination of an exact date hinges on a "general qualification review" of the launcher. However, two critical tests under "degraded conditions" are yet to be completed on Dec 3 and 15.

Martin Sion, CEO of ArianeGroup, the rocket's manufacturer, highlighted the importance of these upcoming tests to validate the launcher's "reliability and robustness" against expectations. The Ariane 6 aims to compete with rivals in the rocket market, including Elon Musk's SpaceX, amid the retirement of its predecessor, the Ariane 5, which concluded 27 years of launches in July.

The absence of an independent launch capability, exacerbated by the grounding of the smaller Vega C and Russia's withdrawal of Soyuz rockets due to sanctions, underscores the significance of the Ariane 6's successful deployment for the ESA.