No more need to cross fingers! Ariane 6 lifted off successfully on July 9th at 21:00 CEST. The liftoff was viewed live from the gardens of the Cité de l’espace by 4000 visitors who were there for the occasion. The Cité de l’espace opened its doors with free admission starting at 18: 00 to enable everyone to experience this milestone in space history. Visitors shared the rare moment with CNES representatives, Lionel Suchet, Deputy Director General, Caroline Laurent, Director of orbital systems and applications, and Philippe Curot, project manager for adaptation of Ariane 6 ground support, as well as Benoit Pouffary, former chief engineer of the Ariane 6 launch system at the European Space Agency (ESA). A duplex with Thierry Vallée, deputy director of protection, safeguarding of the CSG environment at the CNES was also organized from the Jupiter control room at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou to top off this exciting evening.
Journalists from the Cité de l’espace were also in great demand by the press to popularize this moment in history.
See and hear them here, here or here !
©Pierre Carton
