In July 2024, ESA carried out a successful debut launch of its Ariane 6 rocket. Following a series of delays and technical difficulties, the long-awaited carrier should finally help Europe regain its launch independence, which, in the last two years, has been paused due to multiple factors.
In the two years of Europe’s launch inactivity, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 was the chief operator responsible for European satellite launches. And, as many space enthusiasts already know, the ambitious private company is working on yet another innovative launcher, Starship (SN). In this post, we decided to have a quick look at the Ariane 6 vs Starship comparison to see if Europe
Ariane 6 vs Starship: size comparison
If placed side by side, Ariane 6 would look tiny next to Starship. The European rocket stands at around 62 meters high in its tallest configuration, whereas Starship, mounted atop its Super Heavy booster, soars to around 120 meters. The sheer scale of such high architecture is explained by its primary purpose: hauling massive payloads, carrying many passengers, and landing on other planets. The European launcher is sized more modestly because it is tailored for deploying satellites and cargo to Earth orbit.
Ariane 6 vs Starship: thrust & payload
The European rocket will come in two main configurations – 62 (with two boosters) and 64 (with four boosters). Even the more powerful 64th configuration delivers less thrust and a smaller payload capacity compared to Starship. With a total of 3.5 MN thrust capacity, Ariane 64 can lift around 11.5 tons to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), a common orbit for communications satellites. However, this capacity is enough for most current commercial and public European needs.
Starship’s capacity, however, intends to be truly revolutionary. With the Super Heavy booster’s staggering thrust of 73.5 MN, SN will be able to lift over 100 tons to low Earth orbit. Its thrust capability and massive payload volume will allow SN to transport entire spacecraft, space station modules, and large quantities of cargo in a single trip—capabilities that currently lie far beyond ESA’s design scope.
Ariane 6 vs Starship: price considerations
For commercial launches, the cost is one of the major indicators to consider. ESA’s rocket is designed as a more cost-efficient successor to its predecessor, Ariane 5, and the new launch cost is rumoured to be somewhere in the range of €70–90 million. This is more affordable than previous models in the same rocket family, but it is still an impressive figure and a pricier alternative than SpaceX’s currently operational Falcon 9.
The cost of launching Starship is still unknown, with different space resources, including Orbital Today, estimating it to be anywhere between $2 and $62 million. Still, the primary factor that should, over time, make SN launches more affordable is the vehicle’s full reusability. Even now, Falcon 9 has the lowest price per kilo of cargo delivery to orbit and this rocket is only partially reusable.
Ariane 6 vs Starship: goals & plans
The fundamental differences in Ariane 6 vs Starship comparison are rooted in their design goals and priorities. The European launcher is designed to deliver satellites and scientific missions to Earth’s orbit. It’s an evolution of a proven system, ensuring that Europe maintains its independent access to space without overly risky leaps in technology.
Starship, on the other hand, is a truly revolutionary creation designed for deep space exploration, starting with building a moon base and colonising Mars. Affordable satellite launches are not SpaceX’s intention with SN – for that, the company already has Falcon 9, the most frequently flown and affordable rocket for orbital deliveries, with over 99% mission success rate.
Can Ariane 6 compete with Starship?
The first thing to understand is that these two rockets are not direct competitors. Ariane 6 is built to serve the current satellite market, providing access to space for European governments, scientific institutions, and commercial operators who need to place payloads in specific orbits – simply put, launch satellites.
Starship, on the other hand, is aiming to open entirely new markets, including those of interplanetary cargo deliveries. Once fully operational, it could launch enormous payloads and drastically reduce the cost per kilogram to orbit delivery, but its primary goal is to carry cargo and astronauts to the Moon and Mars. From a merely technical perspective, SN is going to be the most advanced rocket, with no analogues or competitors – but first, it needs to be built and launched.
So, from a technical perspective, is Ariane 6 already obsolete? Even though it does not boast the same advanced set of technical specs as Starship does, calling Ariane obsolete would be jumping to rush conclusions. After all, the carriers are built for different purposes, which also explains their technical differences. At the moment, Ariane 6 is as advanced as it needs to be to carry out regular satellite launches to orbit, and while it does not shoot for the stars and other planets as Starship does, the European launcher will serve its goals just fine.
Author: Emma Thorpe
