ESA: “We need more Ariane launches”
October 26, 2026

By Chris Forrester



The European Space Agency (ESA) is in talks with ArianeGroup in order to increase availability of the giant Ariane rockets.

The news comes from ESA’s Media Briefing on October 22nd when ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher and ESA Council Chair Juan Carlos Cortés outlined the key decisions and main outcomes of the 350th Council meeting held at ESA Headquarters in Paris.


Aschbacher said that there will probably be a shortage of [Ariane 6 rockets] toward the end of this decade, but the ESA will not take firm action to address it until early next year, when solid launch-demand estimates are in.

The ESA briefing heard that the various contractors (ArianeGroup, Arianespace, and Avio, which builds Ariane’s strap-on booster elements) about increasing production.

Aschbacher said: “The question is the step function of investment: Up to what can we increase without needing completely new buildings and infrastructure? We are not yet at the stage to give the answer. But we are working on it.”

ESA expects there to be six launches of the Ariane rocket this year, which is less than initially planned. Next year there are 9-10 launches planned.

The next launch, on about November 23rd, will carry 36 Amazon Leo satellites into space.