An Irish space company will design, develop and deliver on-board live telemetry for Europe’s next-generation Ariane 6 launch vehicle under a contract signed yesterday.

Réaltra Space signed the agreement with ArianeGroup, the prime contractor to ESA for the development of Ariane 6.

The company will provide live video images from cameras located on board Ariane 6, showing each stage of the launch.

The first Ariane 6 flight is scheduled to take place in 2020.

Ariane 6 has a modular structure that has three stages that propel it to space: either two or four strap-on solid rocket motors; followed by a core stage; and an upper stage.

The robust cameras supplied by Dublin-based Réaltra Space will capture the moments at which the stages separate as the rocket soars up through the atmosphere on its way to space.