Europe's Ariane 6 rocket launch postponed

The first commercial launch of Europe's latest rocket, Ariane 6, initially scheduled for Feb. 26, has been postponed, launch service provider Arianespace announced on Friday, reported Xinhua.

"Due to further operations needed on a ground system, the launch originally planned for Feb. 26 from Kourou, French Guiana, has been postponed," Arianespace stated on its website.

The new launch date for flight VA263 will be announced once these operations are completed, the company added.

The Ariane 62 version of Ariane 6 was set to carry the CSO-3 satellite, developed for the French Defense Procurement and Technology Agency (DGA) and the French space agency CNES on behalf of the French Air and Space Force's Space Command (CDE).

As Europe's next-generation heavy launcher, Ariane 6 successfully completed its maiden flight on July 9, 2024. The rocket comes in two versions depending on mission requirements: Ariane 62, equipped with two boosters, and Ariane 64, with four boosters for higher payload capacity.