Europe cancels planned upgrades for Ariane 6 rocket
Summary
Europe’s Ariane 6 upgrades, including the Block 3 and ICARUS upper stage, have been shelved due to cost concerns. The program has seen eight successful launches, with Europe subsidizing per-flight costs and weighing the economics of scaling production versus pursuing a next-generation, potentially reusable launcher. The decision will influence European science missions and commercial customers while highlighting funding and policy tensions in European spaceflight.