Europe to launch Ariane 64, its most powerful four-booster rocket, on Thursday

Europe is all set to launch its most powerful four-booster Ariane 64 rocket from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on Thursday, February 11, 2026.

The rocket, named after its four boosters, is being launched with the aim to deploy 32 satellites into orbit for Amazon Leo’s broadband constellation.

ArianeGroup of Europe plans to place itself as one of the global leaders in the rocket industry against the giants that are already leading the market, including Elon Musk-owned SpaceX.

In conversation with the Associated Press journalists, who were provided rare access to the facilities under strict conditions and confidentiality rules, the ArianeGroup Chief Technology Officer Herve Gilibert said, “It’s a special launch - something new for us on Ariane 6. The flight will mark the debut of the four-booster configuration.”

He said that the rocket was now twice as powerful as the version flown since 2024, adding, “It is capable of carrying much heavier payloads into space.”

Though the European Space Agency is financed by all member nations, the main work occurs at two sites: Bremen in Germany for the upper stage, and Les Mureaux in France for the lower.

The mission is expected to last nearly 1 hour and 50 minutes, completing a full orbit to deploy the satellites.