Kourou, French Guiana, 9 July 2024 (dpa/MIA) - Europe's Ariane 6 rocket is travelling into space on its inaugural flight after lifting off from the European spaceport in Kourou in French Guiana on Tuesday.

The rocket took off around 1900 GMT. With this launch, Europe's space sector hopes to put a crisis in its launcher sector behind it and re-establish its own access to space for satellites.

Ariane 6 is the successor to Ariane 5, which was in operation from 1996 until summer 2023. It is designed to launch satellites into space for commercial and public clients and is significantly cheaper than its predecessor.

Ariane 6 is scheduled for its first commercial launch before the end of the year.

Photo: dpa