Europe Will Make Ariane Rockets More Competitive with SpaceX

No, Not "Airline" Rockets. Ariane Rockets. According to The Wall Street Journal, EU Ministers are Finally about to Approve Plans for a More Affordable Version of the Ariane Series -- the Same Family that Launched Rosetta Back in 2004. What Counts as Affordable When Developing a Rocket, is Reportedly between 5 and 6 Billion Dollars. The European Space Agency (ESA) Makes No Secret that its Goal is to Compete with Commercial Entities like SpaceX, which Already has a Program to Deliver Supplies (and Humans) to the ISS. No Surprise, Given that, SpaceX's Very Own Elon Musk already Went on Record Saying that, the Current Ariane 5 Rocket Stands "No Chance" Against his Competition. SpaceX Doesn't Need to Worry just Yet though, as the Roadmap for Ariane 6 Wouldn't See a Launch until the End of the Decade.




Info Source:

http://online.wsj.com/articles/eu-poised-to-approve-new-generation-of-lower-cost-ariane-rockets-1417110622