About ESA & European Launches
Europe’s rockets today
Europe’s heavy and medium launches are carried by Ariane 6, which replaced Ariane 5 and first flew in July 2024. It comes in two versions: Ariane 62 with two strap-on boosters for lighter missions and Ariane 64 with four boosters for heavy payloads such as large communication satellites or Galileo navigation satellites. Smaller payloads fly on Vega C, a four-stage rocket built in Italy.
Alongside these, a new generation of privately developed small launchers is arriving. Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum flies from Andøya in Norway and Rocket Factory Augsburg’s RFA One is being prepared at SaxaVord in Shetland. When they appear in the launch database they show up on this page automatically.
Why Kourou?
Europe’s Spaceport near Kourou in French Guiana lies only about five degrees north of the equator. Rockets launched eastward there gain extra speed from Earth’s rotation, which is especially valuable for satellites heading to geostationary orbit. The coastline also lets rockets fly over open ocean, both eastward and northward for polar orbits.
Because the spaceport is in South America, launches there are usually in the evening or night in Europe. The local time shown on this page converts each launch time to your own time zone automatically.
Reading the European schedule
Arianespace announces each launch campaign several weeks in advance, but the exact date can still move by days as the rocket and satellite are prepared. Entries with only a month or quarter are planning targets; a countdown appears only when a clock time is published.
The latest results table further down shows how the most recent European launches went. Because there are fewer European launches than American or Chinese ones, it can include launches from several months back.
For satellite objects that have already reached orbit, use Recently Launched Satellites. For wider orbital tracking, open the Satellite Directory or the Deep Space section.
European launch vehicles
| Rocket | Operator | Launch site | Typical missions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ariane 6 (62 / 64) | Arianespace | Kourou, French Guiana | Galileo, communication satellites, science missions |
| Vega C | Avio | Kourou, French Guiana | Earth observation and small science satellites |
| Spectrum | Isar Aerospace | Andøya, Norway | Small satellites |
| RFA One | Rocket Factory Augsburg | SaxaVord, Shetland (UK) | Small satellites |
ESA funds and manages Europe’s launcher programmes, while the rockets are built and operated by industry.
Data, update and accuracy details
- Data source: the Launch Library 2 database from The Space Devs, which aggregates launch-provider announcements.
- How often data refreshes: the schedule is cached on our server for up to 15 minutes; refresh the page to see the newest cached copy.
- Accuracy: launch times can change at short notice because of weather, range conflicts or technical checks. The page shows the planned time and its precision label; it is not a live telemetry or webcast feed. Confirm critical plans, such as travelling to a viewing site, with the launch provider.
Content last reviewed: 30 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Which launches appear on this page?
Launches by European providers such as Arianespace, Avio, Isar Aerospace and Rocket Factory Augsburg, and launches from European spaceports including Kourou in French Guiana.
Are European launch dates final?
No. Dates can move because of launch-campaign checks, payload readiness and weather at the spaceport.
Where do European rockets launch from?
Ariane 6 and Vega C launch from Europe’s Spaceport at Kourou in French Guiana, close to the equator. New small launchers such as Spectrum and RFA One fly from Andøya (Norway), SaxaVord (Shetland, UK) and Esrange (Sweden).
When is the next Ariane 6 launch?
The countdown at the top of this page shows the next European launch with a confirmed time. Ariane 6 launch dates are announced by Arianespace and often move by a few days as the launch campaign progresses.
Does ESA build its own rockets?
ESA manages Europe’s launcher programmes, while industry builds and operates the rockets: ArianeGroup builds Ariane 6, which Arianespace operates, and Avio builds and operates Vega C.
Launch schedule and associated imagery: Launch Library 2, The Space Devs. SpaceTracker.live uses a shared server-side cache and retains image credits when provided by the source record.