The next launch of the Ariane 6 rocket has been postponed to early 2025.

According to data from Arianespace, the next rocket launch is now scheduled for the first quarter of 2025, no earlier than mid-February. At that time, the Ariane 6 is expected to deploy the French reconnaissance satellite CSO 3 into orbit.

After the successful launch of the rocket in July, representatives from Arianespace and the European Space Agency (ESA) claimed that the second flight would take place by the end of this year — likely in December.

However, in September, ESA representatives acknowledged that the first launch of Ariane 6 did not go as smoothly as planned. An anomaly prevented the rocket's upper stage from executing the final engine burn for orbital descent. Engineers then indicated that they would modify the software to adjust the auxiliary power unit's cooling "to improve ignition conditions and eliminate the identified anomaly."

Arianespace has now emphasized that the postponement of the launch to mid-February will not affect the schedule of subsequent missions, although it has not been officially disclosed yet. Arianespace's commercial director, Steven Ratgers, previously stated that they aim to complete six Ariane 6 launches in 2025.