• Following the successful launch of Ariane 6 in 2025, Europe’s access to space ambitions gain momentum. • The launch of the reusable launcher first stage demonstrator Themis T1H under the SALTO projectrepresents a decisive step towards sustainable and autonomous access to space. • Other EU-backed initiatives - including the ENLIGHTEN project and an upcoming €20 million call for game-changing technologies - aim to further accelerate Europe’s progress in access to space. • EU-backed space research activities advance Europe’s access to space The recent flight of Europe’s Ariane 6 flagship launcher, in its most powerful 4-booster configuration, marked the renewal of European autonomous access to space, and its capacity to deliver high-performance service for both institutional and commercial customers. • Ariane 6 together with Vega C, with an important launch schedule manifest in 2026, provides Europe’s launcher family with a complementary capability covering heavy and medium lift missions. • Over the past decades, the European Commission significantly increased investment in space research and innovation.

Article Summaries:

  • Following the successful launch of Ariane 6 in 2025, Europe’s access to space ambitions gain momentum. The launch of the reusable launcher first stage demonstrator Themis T1H under the SALTO project represents a decisive step towards sustainable and autonomous access to space. Other EU-backed initiatives - including the ENLIGHTEN project and an upcoming €20 million call for game-changing technologies - aim to further accelerate Europe’s progress in access to space. EU-backed space research activities advance Europe’s access to space The recent flight of Europe’s Ariane 6 flagship launcher, in

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