| Date | Launch Site | Operator | Rocket | Mission | Payload | Customer | Orbit | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Feb | CSG - ELA-4 | Arianespace | Ariane 64 | VA267 | 32 x LeoSat | Amazon LEO | LEO | Success |
| Future Launches ↓ | ||||||||
| NET 19 Mar | Andøya Spaceport | Isar Aerospace | Spectrum | Flight 2 | CyBEEsat TriSat-S Platform 6 FramSat-1 SpaceTeamSat1 Let It Go | TU Berlin University of Maribor EnduroSat NTNU TU Wien Dcubed | LEO | |
| 8 April – 7 May | CSG - ELA-1 | Avio | Vega C | VV29 | SMILE | ESA-CAS | HEO | |
| Q2 | CSG - ELA-4 | Arianespace | Ariane 62 | MetOp-SG-B1 | EUMETSAT | SSO | ||
| Q3 | CSG - ELA-1 | Avio | Vega C | KOMPSAT-6 | KARI | SSO | ||
| Q3 | CSG - ELA-4 | Arianespace | Ariane 64 | MTG-I2 | EUMETSAT | GEO | ||
| Oct | CSG - ELA-1 | Avio | Vega C | Sentinel-3C | ESA | SSO | ||
| Q4 | CSG - ELA-4 | Arianespace | Ariane 62 | Galileo 28 & 31 | ESA | MEO | ||
| Q4 | DGA Test Site | HyPrSpace | Baguette One | Baguette One | Suborbital | |||
| Dec | CSG - ELA-4 | Arianespace | Ariane 62 | PLATO | ESA | Sun–Earth L2 | ||
| CSG - ELA-1 | Avio | Vega C | IRIDE | ASI | LEO | |||
| CSG - ELA-4 | Arianespace | Ariane 64 | Intelsat 41 & 44 | Intelsat | GTO | |||
| CSG - ELA-4 | Arianespace | Ariane 62 | EDRS-D | ESA | MEO | |||
| CSG - ELA-4 | Arianespace | Ariane 62 | Uhura-1 | Skyloom | GTO | |||
| SaxaVord - Fredo | Rocket Factory Augsburg | RFA ONE | Flight 1 | AllBertEinStein ARTICA Curium Two ERMINAZ PCIOD Seperation Ring Mission SpaceDREAM | TU Munich SPACEMIND PTS AMSAT-Deutschland DCUBED SPACEMIND Kinetik Space | SSO |
If there is an error or an omission, please contact andrewp@europeanspaceflight.com.
European institutional rocket launches in 2026
One of the most significant European rocket launches of 2026 will be the inaugural flight of the more powerful four-booster variant of Ariane 6. The Ariane 64 rocket is expected to be the first Ariane 6 variant launched by Arianespace in 2026 and will carry satellites for Amazon’s low Earth orbit megaconstellation. The mission will mark the first of 18 launches Amazon has contracted Arianespace to perform. The first two flights will utilise Ariane 64 Block I rockets, while the remaining 16 will make use of an upgraded variant featuring the larger P160C solid-fuel boosters. 2026 is also expected to see the first Ariane 6 flight powered by the upgraded P160C booster.
While Avio and its Vega C rocket do not have as many inaugural missions scheduled for 2026, the year will nevertheless mark a significant milestone for the programme. Avio is set to officially assume responsibility for marketing and managing Vega C launches, following its split from Arianespace. European Space Agency Member States approved the separation in late 2023, with the transition terms finalised in July 2024. The final Vega C flight managed by Arianespace took place on 1 December 2025, with the first launch of 2026 expected to be conducted under Avio’s management.
In addition to its work on Vega C, Avio is also expected to complete the launch of its single-stage STS demonstrator. Funded by the Italian government, the STS programme aims to mature the company’s methalox rocket engine technology and begin developing reusable launch technologies that could be incorporated into Avio’s Vega Next rocket, which is expected to replace Vega E in the 2030s.
Commercial European Rocket Launches in 2025
After the first launch of its Spectrum rocket ended in failure in 2025, the company is already back at Andøya Spaceport in Norway for its second flight. The launch will likely be the first European rocket launch of 2026, with a launch window running from 13 to 24 January 2026.
While not yet confirmed, it is likely that Rocket Factory Augsburg will attempt to retry an inaugural flight of its RFA ONE rocket from SaxaVord Spaceport. The company had been preparing for the inaugural flight of RFA ONE in 2024 before losing the first stage earmarked for the mission in a launch pad fire during testing.
The ArianeGroup subsidiary MaiaSpace is expected to attempt an inaugural test flight of its two-stage, partially reusable rocket in 2026. The vehicle will be launched from the former Soyuz launch facility at the Guiana Space Centre, which the company is currently in the process of refurbishing for its needs.
Spain’s PLD Space is expected to attempt the inaugural orbital flight of its Miura 5 rocket in 2026, following the successful suborbital debut of its Miura 1 vehicle in October 2023. The company is preparing to fly Miura 5 from a newly developed commercial launch facility at the Guiana Space Centre, which is intended to support multiple European microlauncher operators, with PLD Space expected to be among the first to utilise the site.
European Suborbital Rocket Launches in 2026
In France, HyPrSpace is expected to perform the first commercial rocket launch from mainland France when it launches its suborbital Baguette One rocket from a DGA testing facility. The flight is intended to test key technologies for the company’s larger Orbital Baguette One (OB-1) rocket.
Another French company planning an inaugural suborbital flight is OPUS Aerospace, which will launch its Mesange rocket from the Guiana Space Centre. The company will utilise the space centre’s recommissioned ELFS launch facility, which hosted more than 350 sounding rocket launches between 1968 and 1992.
Polish rocket builder SpaceForest is expected to launch no fewer than three flights of its PERUN rocket. The first is set to launch from Poland’s Central Air Force Test Range, with two additional flights planned, one from a new launch site on the island of Santa Maria in Portugal and another from a floating platform in the North Sea.
T-Minus Aerospace from the Netherlands is also expected to conduct launches of its Dart and Barracuda rockets from several locations in 2026, including a proposed launch site in Ireland and a separate floating platform in the North Sea.
