Search

With just a few hours to go before the launch of the Biomass mission from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, here is a look back at the key stages in the preparation of this unique satellite.

On Tuesday, 29 April 2025, at 6:15 a.m., as the sky over Kourou was bathed in the first light of dawn, the Vega C rocket successfully lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.

On April 29, 2025, Vega-C will launch Biomass, the European Space Agency’s Earth Explorer satellite from Europe spaceport at 6:15 a.m. local time (09:15 a.m. UTC, 11:15 a.m. CEST).

The hot-fire test of the new P160C motor, intended for Ariane 6, Vega-C, and Vega-E, is scheduled for 24 April between noon and 4 p.m. It will be conducted at Europe’s Spaceport on the solid booster test bench (BEAP).

On April 29, 2025, Vega-C will launch Biomass satellite from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana at 6:15 a.m. local time (09:15 a.m. UTC, 11:15 a.m. CEST).

ESA’s Biomass satellite has arrived at Europe’s spaceport, where it will prepare for a launch scheduled for late April onboard a Vega-C rocket.

From the first Ariane L01, through Soyuz and the various versions of the Ariane and Vega families, the history of the space industry in French Guiana has been built over the course of launches and human discovery.

Following its successful maiden flight in July 2024, Ariane 6 completed its second mission from Europe’s spaceport on Thursday 6 March at 13:24 local time in French Guiana. Its payload, the CSO-3 satellite, was placed in sun-synchronous orbit.

Mission VA263 will take off this Thursday, 6 March at 1:24 pm (Kourou), 5:24 pm (Paris) and 4:24 pm (UTC). It will put into orbit the observation satellite CSO-3. Focus on the mission.

The first commercial flight of Ariane 6, originally scheduled for Monday 3 March, has been postponed to Thursday 6 March 13:24 (Kourou), 17:24 (Paris), 16:24 (UTC).