Europe is set to launch its most powerful four-propellant Ariane 64 rocket from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on Thursday, February 11, 2026.
The rocket, named after its four boosters, is launched with the goal of deploying 32 satellites into orbit for the Amazon Leo broadband constellation.
Europe’s ArianeGroup plans to position itself as one of the global leaders in the rocket industry against the giants already leading the market, including SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk.
In conversation with Associated Press “It’s a special launch, something new for us on Ariane 6. The flight will mark the debut of the four-prop configuration.”
He said the rocket was now twice as powerful as the version flown since 2024, adding: “It is capable of carrying much heavier payloads into space.”
Although the European Space Agency is funded by all member countries, the main work is carried out at two sites: Bremen in Germany for the upper stage and Les Mureaux in France for the lower stage.
The mission is expected to last almost 1 hour and 50 minutes, completing a full orbit to deploy the satellites.
