WASHINGTON — The European Space Agency says a test-firing of an Ariane 6 core stage has been postponed again, this time due to issues with ground equipment.
In an Aug. 30 update, ESA said that a planned Aug. 29 firing of the core stage of an Ariane 6 on the pad at the game in Kourou, French Guiana, was postponed due to what the agency described as a “technical issue affecting the control bench” that handles propellant loading and the automated countdown.
That test, which is able to fire the Vulcain 2.1 engine for several seconds, has been rescheduled for Sept. 5. An extended test firing stays planned for Sept. 26, also on the spaceport.
That short-duration test was previously planned for July, but postponed when time allocated for the test ran out. ESA later explained that the automated countdown was aborted “as a consequence of certain measurements exceeding preset limits.” The agency delayed the test to late August to offer teams a two-week summer break and to perform repairs to a basin used for burning off excess hydrogen that was damaged by water.
A separate test of the rocket’s upper-stage engine stays scheduled for as soon as Sept. 1 at a facility in Lampoldshausen, Germany. That test was postponed from late July due to software issues.
ESA can also be moving ahead with a media briefing on Sept. 4 to update those testing efforts and other preparations for the long-delayed first launch of the Ariane 6. ESA acknowledged earlier within the month that the inaugural launch had slipped to a while in 2024, but has not provided a more specific date.