The European Space Agency is having trouble with the latest generation of Ariane rockets, which will not get off the ground before late 2023. The delay means the European effort to compete with Elon Musk's cut-price SpaceX launcher is losing altitude. In fact, ESA on Thursday announced plans to use SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets to launch two scientific missions.
The inaugural flight of the Ariane 6 rocket has been beset by a long series of delays.
