LAMPOLDSHAUSEN, Germany — Europe’s launch sector has spent so much time as the butt of jokes in recent years that this might sound outrageous:
The Ariane 6 heavy-lift rocket, after two successful flights, appears on track to at least come close to meeting its cost target set 11 years ago: 40-50% less its Ariane 5 predecessor.
It’s too early to confirm this. The 23-nation European Space Agency (ESA) is giving prime contractor ArianeGroup a few months to build more launchers and finalize terms . . .
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