The first structural element of the mobile gantry that will house and protect Ariane 6 before launch has been assembled.

The mobile gantry is a 90 m-high, nine-storey structure weighing 8200 tonnes. Riding on rails, it is retracted before launch.

Work platforms will enable engineers to access the vehicle levels to vertically position Ariane 6’s central core directly on the launch table, add two or four boosters depending on the launch configuration, and integrate the fairing that houses the payload.

A mobile gantry gives engineers better access to the launcher, allowing them to make adjustments without moving the rocket back to the assembly building – unlike Ariane 5, which is moved on a table to the pad on launch day.

Assembly of the gantry started on 15 November and will take 10 months. The ground floor will be completed by the end of this year.