Ariane 6 launches with upgraded boosters, sets European payload record (esa.int)

• Ariane 6 flight VA269 delivers 36 Amazon Kuiper satellites to LEO
• First use of four P160C boosters, each with 14t more propellant than P120C
• New European payload record: exceeds previous 20t Ariane 5 mark

"On 17 June 2026, Ariane 6 flight VA269 lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, delivering 36 satellites for Amazon's Kuiper constellation into low Earth orbit. The rocket featured four new P160C solid rocket boosters, each carrying 14 tonnes more propellant than the previous P120C version. This launch marks the most powerful Ariane 6 configuration to date and breaks the European record for heaviest single-payload lift, previously held by Ariane 5's 20-tonne ATV mission."