Ariane 6 second stage "flashed" in Rostov - it seems that local air defense wanted to shoot it down

In the skies over Russia, an unusual phenomenon was noticed, which triggered a vigorous reaction from local air defense. The video, posted on Russian social networks, captured a round light object and the activity of air defense systems.

The Alpha Centauri channel, specializing in space topics, suggested that the Russian military may have mistaken the second stage of the European Ariane 6 rocket for an attack by Ukrainian forces. This hypothesis seems plausible, considering that the launch of the Ariane 6 took place the day before, and its second stage could indeed have been visible in the sky over Ukraine and neighboring countries.

It is worth noting that in May, Ukrainians already observed an unusual glow in the night sky, reminiscent of an eye with two spiral "sleeves." According to experts, it was the second stage of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, launched from the Vandenberg base in California.

About Ariane 6

Ariane 6 was developed over several years with the participation of Airbus and Safran. This launch vehicle is intended to provide Europe with independent access to space, particularly important in the conditions of geopolitical tension and limited use of Russian Soyuz rockets.

"Ariane 6 is a key element of Europe's space ambitions," said Toni Tolker-Nielsen, Acting Director of ESA's Space TransportationEuropean Space Agency.

The first flight of Ariane 6 demonstrated a number of technical achievements, including the successful restart of the Vinci engine of the upper stage. However, the mission ended not entirely according to plan due to a technical malfunction that prevented the completion of the final stage of the flight.

Despite this, the European Space Agency considers the launch successful and plans to conduct the next flight by the end of the year. Ariane 6 has an ambitious program with 29 planned missions, including 18 launches for the deployment of the Amazon Kuiper satellite internet.

Source: Reuters, Alpha Centauri | Space, Focus