Facilities Guiana Space Centre

1 facilities

1.1 elv (cecles/ela-1)
1.2 ela 2
1.3 ela 3
1.4 ela 4
1.5 els / soyuz @ csg
1.6 final assembly building

facilities

the now-decommissioned ela 2 - l ensemble de lancement ariane 2 ariane 4 launch site



the final assembly building ariane 5



ela-3 map

kourou located approximately 500 kilometres (310 mi) north of equator, @ latitude of 5°. common misconception main advantage of launching rocket equator boost provided speed of earth s rotation. example, eastward boost provided earth s rotation 463 m/s (1,035 miles per hour) @ guiana space centre, compared 406 m/s (908 miles per hour) @ united states east coast cape canaveral , kennedy space center spaceports @ 28°27′n latitude in florida. means rockets need around 60m/s more delta-v reach low earth orbit (leo) cape canaveral, insignificant disadvantage.

in reality, main benefit of kourou near-equatorial launch location provides advantage launches low-inclination (or geostationary) earth orbits compared launches spaceports @ higher latitude. because rockets can launched orbits of inclination of ~6°. lowest inclination rocket cape canaveral launched 34°. inclination change burns require significant amounts of delta-v, needing change inclination 34° affects rocket s capability send satellites geostationary transfer orbit (gto). result of these phenomena, sized proton , ariane 5 rockets can send similar payloads leo. however, proton, launched high latitudes in russia, can send 6,270kgs gto while kourou-launched ariane 5 can send more 10,000kgs gto.

elv (cecles/ela-1)

originally built in 1960s under name of cecles (french: conférence européenne de construction de lanceurs et d engins spatiaux, english: european conference on construction of launchers , spacecraft), elv pad (french: l ensemble de lancement vega) located @ 5°14′10″n 52°46′30″w / 5.236°n 52.775°w / 5.236; -52.775 designed europa-ii rocket. 1 europa-ii launched site, before programme cancelled.

the pad demolished, , subsequently rebuilt first launch complex ariane rockets. renamed ela (later redesignated ela 1), used ariane 1 , ariane 2 , 3 launches until being retired in 1989.

it again refurbished vega rocket first launch performed on 13 february 2012.

ela 2

the ela 2 pad (french: l ensemble de lancement ariane 2), located @ 5°13′55″n 52°46′34″w / 5.232°n 52.776°w / 5.232; -52.776 had been used ariane 4 launches until 2003.

ela 3

ela 3 (french: l ensemble de lancement ariane 3) has been active ariane 5 launches since 1996 (ariane 501). facility located @ 5°14′20″n 52°46′05″w / 5.239°n 52.768°w / 5.239; -52.768 , covers area of 21 square kilometres (8.1 sq mi).

ela 4

ela 4 (french: l ensemble de lancement ariane 4) presently under construction, intended future ariane 6 launches. facility located @ 5°15′45″n 52°47′27″w / 5.26258°n 52.79074°w / 5.26258; -52.79074.

els / soyuz @ csg

esa has built els (french: l ensemble de lancement soyouz) @ 5°18′18″n 52°50′02″w / 5.305°n 52.834°w / 5.305; -52.834 launching russian-built soyuz-2 rockets. first soyuz launch els postponed several times, launched on october 21, 2011.

els located on territory of sinnamary commune, 27 km (17 mi) kourou harbor. 10 km (6.2 mi) north of site used ariane 5 launches. under terms of russo-european joint venture, esa augment own launch vehicle fleet soyuz rockets—using them launch esa or commercial payloads—and russians access kourou spaceport launching own payloads soyuz rockets. russia use guiana space centre in addition baikonur cosmodrome. guiana location has significant benefit of increased payload capability, owing near equatorial position. soyuz rocket 1.7 tonnes geostationary transfer orbit (gto) performance baikonur, increase payload potential 2.8 tonnes guiana launch site.

the els project being co-funded arianespace, esa, , european union, cnes being prime contractor. project has projected cost of approximately €320 million, €120 million allocated modernizing soyuz vehicle. official opening of launch site construction occurred on 27 february 2007. excavation work however, had begun several months beforehand.

on september 13, 2010, spaceflight reported after several delays in construction of mobile gantry launch pad had been finished, , first flight of soyuz expected occur in 2011. october 2010, 18 launch contracts had been signed. arianespace has ordered 24 launchers russian industry.

on october 21, 2011, 2 galileo iov-1 & iov-2 satellites launched using soyuz-st rocket, in first russian soyuz vehicle ever launched europe s spaceport in french guiana.

final assembly building

astrium assembles each ariane 5 launcher in launcher integration building. vehicle delivered final assembly building payload integration arianespace. final assembly building located 2.8 kilometres (1.7 mi) ela-3 launch zone. mobile launch table completes trip ariane 5 in 1 hour. secured in place on launch pad s flame ducts.