Europe’s Ariane 6 launcher successfully lifted off from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou on December 17, 2025, carrying two Galileo navigation satellites into Medium Earth Orbit, marking another step in the gradual buildup of Europe’s next-generation launch system.
The mission, designated VA266, lifted off at 02:01 local time (06:01 Paris time) using the Ariane 62 configuration, equipped with two P120C solid rocket boosters. The flight lasted nearly four hours, culminating in the successful separation of the two satellites into their targeted orbit at an altitude of around 22,900 km and an inclination of 54 degrees.
Galileo constellation strengthened
The payload consisted of two Galileo satellites, SAT 33 and SAT 34, marking the 14th operational launch for the Galileo program. Their deployment brings the total number of Galileo satellites launched to 34, further improving the accuracy, availability, and resilience of the European Union’s global navigation satellite system.
Manufactured by Germany’s OHB System AG, each satellite weighs approximately 700 kg at launch and is designed for an operational lifetime of 12 years. Galileo is currently used by an estimated 4.5 billion users worldwide and underpins a wide range of applications, from aviation and maritime navigation to rail transport, agriculture, and search-and-rescue operations. All smartphones sold in the European Single Market are required to be compatible with Galileo.
A return to European-launched Galileo missions
VA266 is the first Galileo mission launched aboard an Ariane 6 and comes after a period when Europe relied on non-European launchers following the retirement of Ariane 5 and the suspension of Soyuz launches from Kourou after 2022.
The mission is therefore seen as an essential step in restoring European-controlled access to orbit for one of the EU’s most strategically sensitive space programs, which is owned and managed by the European Commission. The European Space Agency oversees system development and launch procurement, while the EU Agency for the Space Programme manages operations and service delivery.
Ariane 6 continues operational ramp-up
VA266 was Arianespace’s seventh launch of 2025 and carried a total payload mass of around 1.6 tons. The mission relied on the Vinci-powered cryogenic upper stage, which performed two separate ignitions to inject the satellites into Medium Earth Orbit before executing a controlled passivation sequence at the end of the flight.
Developed under ESA leadership with ArianeGroup as prime industrial contractor, Ariane 6 is designed to be modular and scalable, covering a broad range of institutional and commercial missions. ArianeGroup coordinates an industrial network of more than 600 European companies, including around 350 small and medium-sized enterprises, making the launcher a cornerstone of Europe’s space industrial base.
With the VA266 mission completed, attention now turns to sustaining Ariane 6’s launch cadence in 2026, as Europe seeks to fully stabilize its access to space amid growing geopolitical and commercial competition.