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Ariane 6 ends the year in style
On the night of 16 to 17 December 2025, Ariane 6 successfully completed the final launch of the year from the Guiana Space Centre, placing two satellites from the Galileo constellation into medium Earth orbit (MEO). This fourth commercial flight for Ariane 6 consolidates the European satellite navigation system and marks an important milestone for Europe in terms of sovereign access to space.
On 17 December 2025 at 02:01 (local time), the Ariane 6 rocket lifted off from the Guiana Space Centre for mission VA266, carrying the SAT-33 and SAT-34 satellites into MEO for the Galileo constellation.
Deployed some 3 hours and 55 minutes after lift-off, the two satellites will enhance the accuracy, availability and robustness of the European Union's global positioning system, used every day by billions of people around the world.
The two-booster AR62 version of Ariane 6 was used for this fourth commercial flight of 2025. It illustrates the European launcher’s ramp-up and confirms the central role of the Guiana Space Centre in Europe’s ambitious space programme.
On the same section
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VA267 : How to watch the launch ?
27/02/2026VA267: Four-booster version of Ariane 6 taking shape
28/01/2026First Ariane 64 now being prepared at the CSG
13/01/2026Brut takes you behind the scenes of an Ariane 6 launch
12/01/2026VA267: Amazon Leo on the starting blocks!
19/12/2025VA266 mission in a nutshell
01/12/2025
