First Ariane 6 booster on the launch pad

An important step in the Ariane 6 launcher combined tests

A non-functional mock-up of the first Ariane 6 booster (also known as Equipped Solid Rocket, ESR) was transferred from the ESR Finishing Facility (EFF) to its launch pad ZL4.

The impressively-sized booster (24 meters tall and 3.4 meters round the middle) was erected into the vertical position for its transfer to the launch zone ZL4. When it arrived there, it was put into position no. 4, facing north-west, beside three already-installed pylons so that together the ensemble mimicked the configuration of the four boosters of an Ariane 64;

For this exercise, the booster was filled with 142 tons of sugar representing the propellant that will power the Ariane 6 launchers on their missions.

The next step is the transfer of the Ariane 6 central core (main and upper stages assembled) to the launch pad and its verticalization in preparation for combined tests.

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