The European Space Agency’s next-generation heavy-lift rocket, Ariane 6, definitely won’t launch until at least 2024, the agency’s director general confirmed this week. Ariane 6 was first scheduled to launch four years ago. However, the rocket has suffered a series of delays, attributed to technical issues, COVID-19, and design changes. The ESA said the most recent setback was because it failed to complete a short hot firing test,, mimicking the environment in space to provide data to operators,of Ariane’s engine system in a July attempt.