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Guiana Space Centre

March 31, 2023

The Guiana Space Centre (French: Centre spatial guyanais; CSG), also called Europe's Spaceport,[2][3] is a European spaceport to the northwest of Kourou in French Guiana, a region of France in South America. Kourou is located approximately 310 mi (500 km) north of the equator at a latitude of 5°. In operation since 1968, it is a suitable location for a spaceport because of its equatorial location and open sea to the east.

Guiana Space Centre
Centre spatial guyanais

Panoramic view of Guiana Space Centre
Agency overview
Formed14 April 1964 (1964-04-14)
JurisdictionGovernment of France
HeadquartersKourou, French Guiana, France
Employees1,700 direct (2020)
7,500 indirect (2011)
Agency executive
  • Marie-Anne Clair, director
Parent agencyESA/EUSPA/CNES
Websitewww.cnes-csg.fr
Map
Map of Guiana Space Centre
Detailed map
Guiana Space Centre
OperatorArianespace, ESA
Total launches319
Launch pad(s)7
Launch history
StatusActive
First launch10 March 1970
Diamant B / Mika / Wika
Last launch21 December 2022
Vega (rocket) / VV22 Pléïades-Néo 5 & 6
ALFS launch history
StatusInactive
Launches412
First launch1968
Last launch1981
Associated
rockets		Sounding rockets
ALD launch history
StatusInactive
Launches8
First launch10 March 1970
Diamant B / Mika / Wika
Last launch27 September 1975
Diamant BP4 / Aura
Associated
rockets		Diamant (retired)
Spectrum (future)[1]
ELV launch history
StatusActive
Launches48
First launch5 November 1971
Europa II / STV-4
Last launch21 December 2022
Vega-C / Pléïades-Néo 5 & 6
Associated
rockets		Europa II (retired)
Ariane 1 (retired)
Ariane 2 (retired)
Ariane 3 (retired)
Vega (rocket) (current)
ELA-2 launch history
StatusInactive
Launches119
First launch28 March 1986
Ariane 3 / GStar-2
Last launch15 February 2003
Ariane 4 / Intelsat 907
Associated
rockets		Ariane 3 (retired)
Ariane 2 (retired)
Ariane 4 (retired)
ELA-3 launch history
StatusActive
Launches116
First launch4 June 1996
Ariane 5 / Cluster FM1
Last launch13 December 2022
Ariane 5 / Galaxy 35 & 36, MTG-I1
Associated
rockets		Ariane 5 (current)
ELS launch history
StatusActive
Launches27
First launch21 October 2011
Soyuz ST-B / Galileo (satellite navigation)
Last launch10 February 2022
Soyuz ST-B / OneWeb satellite constellation
Associated
rockets		Soyuz ST-A (current)
Soyuz ST-B (current)
ELA-4 launch history
StatusActive
Launches0
First launch2023 (planned)
Ariane 6
Last launch
Q
Associated
rockets		Ariane 6 (current)

The European Space Agency (ESA), the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), the French space agency CNES (National Centre for Space Studies), the Space Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azercosmos) and the commercial company Arianespace conduct launches from Kourou.[4][5][6] It was used by the ESA to send supplies to the International Space Station using the Automated Transfer Vehicle.

History

In 1964 Guiana was selected to become the spaceport of France,[7][8] replacing France's first launch site Centre interarmées d'essais d'engins spéciaux in Hammaguir, Algeria.[9] In 1975, France offered to share Kourou with the ESA.[7][8] Commercial launches are also bought by non-European companies. ESA pays two-thirds of the spaceport's annual budget and has also financed the upgrades made during the development of the Ariane launchers.

On 4 April 2017, the center was occupied by 30 labour unions and indigenous peoples leaders in the midst of the 2017 social unrest in French Guiana, highlighting problems from its colonial heritage,[10] but was taken back on 24 April 2017.[11]

Facilities

  •  

    Vega launch pad in 2017

  •  

    Ariane 5 final assembly building

  •  

    Ariane 6 pad in 2019

  •  

    Soyuz-2 mobile service tower and flame trench

  •  

    Kourou ESTRACK station antenna

The space centre was built in its current location for many reasons. As the space centre is near the equator, substantially less energy is required to manoeuvre a spacecraft from the spaceport into an equatorial, geostationary orbit. Adjacent to the centre is the open sea to the east, reducing the chance of lower stages of rockets and debris from launch failures falling on or near human habitations. Rockets usually launch to the east to take advantage of the angular momentum provided by Earth's rotation.

The near-equatorial launch location of the Guiana Space Centre is meant to provide an advantage for launches to low-inclination (or geostationary) Earth orbits compared to launches from spaceports at higher latitude. This is because rockets can be launched into orbits with an inclination of as low as ~6°. The lowest inclination a rocket from Cape Canaveral could be launched to is 28.5° (the latitude of Cape Canaveral). Inclination change burns require significant amounts of propellant. Changing inclination by 28.5° requires significant propellant mass, reducing a rocket's payload capacity when transferring satellites into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). As a result of these phenomena, similarly sized Proton and Ariane 5 rockets can send similar payloads to a low Earth orbit (LEO). However, the Proton, launched from high latitudes in Russia, can only send 6,270 kg to GTO while a Kourou-launched Ariane 5 can send more than 10,000 kg to GTO.[12][13]

BEC / ELA-1 / ELV

Main article: ELA-1

Originally built in the 1960s under the name of Base Équatoriale du CECLES (English: ELDO Equatorial Base), the pad located at 5°14′10″N 52°46′30″W / 5.236°N 52.775°W / 5.236; -52.775 was designed for the Europa-II launch vehicle. One Europa-II was launched from the site in 1971, which ended in failure due to a guidance problem before the program was cancelled.[14]

The pad at Giunana was demolished and subsequently rebuilt as the first launch complex for Ariane as ELA (French: Ensemble de Lancement Ariane). Redesignated later as ELA-1, it was used for Ariane 1 and Ariane 2 and 3 launches until being retired in 1989.[15]

In November 2001, it was refurbished again for the Vega rocket and renamed ELV (French: Ensemble de Lancement Vega). The first launch was launched on 13 February 2012.[16]

ELA-2

Main article: ELA-2

The ELA-2 pad (French: Ensemble de Lancement Ariane-2), located at 5°13′55″N 52°46′34″W / 5.232°N 52.776°W / 5.232; -52.776, built in 1986, had been used for Ariane 4 launches from 1988 until 2003. Before 1988, although purpose-built for Ariane 4, the pad hosted an Ariane-2 and two Ariane-3 launches. The complex consisted of two areas: the launcher preparation zone and the launch pad, separated by one kilometre, allowing a launcher to be assembled in the preparation zone while another launch from the pad. A mobile service tower at the launch pad provided a protected environment for payload installation and final preparation of the rocket.[17] In September 2011 the pad's service tower was demolished using explosives.[18]

ELA-3

Main article: ELA-3

ELA-3 (French: Ensemble de Lancement Ariane-3) has been active, launching Ariane 5 rockets since 1996. This facility is located at 5°14′20″N 52°46′05″W / 5.239°N 52.768°W / 5.239; -52.768 and covers an area of 21 km2 (8.1 sq mi).[19]

ELA-4

Main article: ELA-4

ELA4 is located along the Route de l'Espace in the Roche Christine site at 5°15′45″N 52°47′27″W / 5.26258°N 52.79074°W / 5.26258; -52.79074, between ELA-3 and ELS launch facilities. CNES was responsible for the construction of the Ariane 6 ground segments including the new launch pad. Earthworks on the 150 hectare launch site began at the end of June 2015 and was completed at the start of 2016. Four platforms were levelled to accommodate the launch pad, the liquid oxygen and hydrogen tanks and the assembly building. Civil engineering works on the flame trench and other buildings began in the summer of 2016 and ended in 2019.[20][21] The new launch facility was inaugurated on 28 September 2021 with first flight of the Ariane 6 scheduled in 2023.[22]

ELS / Soyuz at CSG

Main articles: Ensemble de Lancement Soyouz and Soyuz at the Guiana Space Centre

ESA has built ELS (French: Ensemble de Lancement Soyouz) at 5°18′18″N 52°50′02″W / 5.305°N 52.834°W / 5.305; -52.834 for launching Russian-built Soyuz-2 rockets. The first Soyuz launch from ELS was postponed several times, but launched on 21 October 2011.[23]

ELS is located on the territory of Sinnamary commune, 27 km (17 mi) from Kourou harbor.[24] It is 10 km (6.2 mi) northwest of the site used for the Ariane 5 launches. Under the terms of the Russo-European joint venture, ESA will augment its own launch vehicle fleet with Soyuz rockets — using them to launch ESA or commercial payloads — and the Russians will get access to the Kourou spaceport for launching their own payloads with Soyuz rockets. Russia will use the Guiana Space Centre in addition to Baikonur Cosmodrome. The Guiana location has the significant benefit of greatly increased payload capability, owing to the near equatorial position. A Soyuz rocket with a 1.7 tones to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) performance from Baikonur will increase its payload potential to 2.8 tones from the Guiana launch site.[25]

The ELS project is being co-funded by Arianespace, ESA, and the European Union, with CNES being the prime contractor. The project has a projected cost of approximately €320 million, where €120 million are allocated for modernizing the Soyuz vehicle.[26] The official opening of the launch site construction occurred on 27 February 2007. Excavation work however, had previously begun several months beforehand.

On 13 September 2010, Spaceflight Now reported that after several delays in the construction of a mobile gantry the launch pad had been finished, and the first flight of the Soyuz was expected to occur in early 2011.[27] By October 2010, 18 launch contracts were signed. Arianespace has ordered 24 launchers from Russian industry.[28]

On 21 October 2011, two Galileo IOV-1 and IOV-2 satellites were launched using a Soyuz-ST rocket, in the "first Russian Soyuz vehicle ever launched from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.".[29]

Final assembly building

Astrium assembles each Ariane 5 launcher in the Launcher Integration Building. The vehicle is then delivered to the Final Assembly Building for payload integration by Arianespace.[30] The Final Assembly Building is located 2.8 km (1.7 mi) from the ELA-3 launch zone. The mobile launch table completes the trip with an Ariane 5 in about one hour. It is then secured in place over the launch pad's flame ducts.[31]

Launches

Launch safety

Fire safety is ensured by a detachment of the Paris Fire Brigade, a branch of the French Army. Security around the base is ensured by French Gendarmerie forces, assisted by the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment of the French Foreign Legion.[citation needed] Before and during launch windows, CSG facility security is significantly enhanced by anti-personnel and anti-aircraft measures, the exact configurations of which are classified by the French military. All entrants to the launch complex are also subject to checks for proof of permission to enter the facility.[citation needed]

The Guiana Space Centre (as per CNES) also contains the Îles du Salut, a former penal colony including the infamous Devil's Island. Now a tourist site, the islands are under the launching trajectory for geosynchronous orbit and have to be evacuated during launches.

Early launches

  • 10 March 1970 — The first Diamant-B launched the DIAL/MIKA and DIAL/WIKA satellites. DIAL/MIKA failed during launch, but it entered orbit with a total mass of 111 kg.[32] DIAL/WIKA provided data for about two months after launch.[33]

Recent launches

  • 5 October 2007 — An Ariane 5 GS launched from CSG carrying Intelsat 11 and Optus D2.[34]
  • 9 March 2008 — An Ariane 5 launched carrying the ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle) Jules Verne in preparation for docking with the International Space Station (ISS). This was the first launch of the ESA unmanned resupply craft.
  • 18 April 2008 — An Ariane 5 launched carrying Vinasat-1 — Vietnam's first satellite.[35]
  • 14 August 2008 — An Ariane 5 carrying Superbird 7 for Mitsubishi Electric Corporation and AMC-21 for SES Americom
  • 20 December 2008 — An Ariane 5 carrying HOT BIRD 9 and W2M for Eutelsat[36][37]
  • 14 May 2009 — An Ariane 5 carrying the ESA's Herschel and Planck space telescopes[38]
  • 1 July 2009 — An Ariane 5 carrying TerreStar-1, the heaviest commercial telecommunications satellite ever launched[39]
  • 18 December 2009 — An Ariane 5 carrying Helios 2B European military observation satellite used by France, Belgium, Spain and Greece.[40]
  • 21 May 2011 — 04:38 (GMT+08:00) An Ariane 5 ECA launch vehicle launched carrying ST-2 Satellite twice as powerful Singtel's first satellite ST-1, which was launched back in 1998. It will provide 20% more transponder capacity and a wider coverage footprint than ST-1, with C-band and Ku-band coverage of the Middle East, Central Asia, Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.[citation needed]
  • 21 October 2011 — A Soyuz-2 carrying two Galileo satellites was launched. This was the first launch of a Soyuz rocket at the Centre Spatial Guyanais.[41]
  • 17 December 2011 — A Soyuz carrying the French space agency's Pleiades 1 Earth imaging satellite, four ELISA electronic intelligence satellites, and the SSOT remote sensing satellite for the Chilean military. This was the second launch of a Soyuz at the Guiana Space Centre.[42]
  • 13 February 2012 — The Vega, which was designed in Italy, lifted off at 10:00 UTC on its maiden voyage. The launcher released nine satellites into orbit: two Italian satellites and seven pico-satellites.[43]
  • 5 July 2012 — The unmanned Ariane 5 rocket took off to send an American communication satellite and European weather-monitoring spacecraft into orbit. Liftoff occurred at 21:36 UTC.[44]
  • 30 August 2013 — Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the advanced multi-band communication satellite GSAT-7.[45] It was 17th Indian satellite launched from ESA with Ariane 5.[46]
  • 16 October 2014 — An Ariane 5 launch vehicle carrying the communication satellite ARSAT-1 to orbit. It is the first geostationary satellite built by a Latin American country, Argentina, and the second one of the Americas, after the U.S.
  • 30 September 2015 — An Ariane 5 launch vehicle carrying the communication satellite ARSAT-2 to orbit, being the second Argentine geostationary satellite built in two years.
  • 1 October 2015 — Sky Muster (NBN-Co 1A) is a communication satellite launched on an Ariane 5 ECA launch vehicle. Sky Muster is the first satellite of an operation to improve Australia's internet with the NBN program.
  • 6 October 2016 — Sky Muster II (NBN-Co 1B) is a communication satellite launched on an Ariane 5 ECA launch vehicle. Sky Muster II is the second satellite of an operation to improve Australia's internet with the NBN program.
  • 28 January 2017 — A Soyuz-2 STB carrying the geostationary communication satellite Hispasat 36W-1 to orbit. It is the first of the ESA's "Small-GEO" class of satellites.
  • 14 February 2017 — An Ariane 5 launch vehicle carrying the commercial communication satellites Sky Brasil 1 (Intelsat 32e) and Telekom 3S launched the satellites to a geostationary orbit.
  • 25 January 2018 — Partial failure of Ariane 5 launch vehicle on Ariane flight VA241.
  • 19 October 2018 — An Ariane 5 launch vehicle launches the European-Japanese BepiColombo mission to Mercury.[47]
  • 5 February 2019 — Ariane 5 launched the Saudi Geostationary Satellite SGS-1 (also known as SaudiGeosat-1/HellasSat-4).
  • 11 July 2019 — Vega launch vehicle failed to launch Falcon Eye 1 satellite for United Arab Emirates Armed Forces.
  • 15 August 2020 — An Ariane 5 launched MEV-2, BSAT-4b, and Galaxy-30.[48]
  • 25 December 2021 — James Webb Space Telescope.[49]
  • 13 December 2022 - An Ariane 5 launched the first third generation Meteosat: Meteosat MTG-I1. [50]

Launch statistics

As of 21 December 2022[51][52]

As of 2017, Kourou counts amongst the spaceports with the highest percentage of successful launches, both successive and overall. Here is a chronology of all orbital launches from the Kourou spaceport since 1970, under the French and European space programmes.

Flights by launcher

3
6
9
12
15
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
2015
2020
In development: 
  •    Ariane 6
Active: 

Retired: 

Flights by mission outcome

3
6
9
12
15
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
2015
2020

  Success     Failure     Partial Failure     Scheduled

Local impact

Colonialism

The space sector was responsible for about 15% of French Guiana's GDP in 2014, around half of the 28% it was in 1990. This reduction is mostly due to expansion in other sectors, rather than decreasing space activity. As of 2020 the space sector employed 4620 people in Guiana, meaning the industry was responsible for just under 10% of salaried jobs in the territory,[53] though there are estimates that as many as 9000 people are employed directly and indirectly as a result of activities at the spaceport.[54] The Guiana Space Centre (or CSG) is one of the spaceports in the world that receives the most traffic, and it receives large amounts of funding from the European Space Agency (ESA), with the organisation covering around 66% of the spaceport's annual budget, as well as financing new facilities.[55] Indigenous and local activist groups argue that mainland France is only interested in French Guiana as far as the space centre is concerned, and the funding that the space centre receives is symbolic given the inequity in living standards seen between the department and mainland France.[56][57] Historically, the space centre has been referred to as its own state, and activists have accused both the French state and the space centre of colonial practices.[58]

Decolonisation of space exploration is mostly focused on large scale efforts regarding outer space environments, however issues surrounding the Guiana Space Centre have been attributed to the continued postcolonial running of French Guiana. Proponents of this line of thinking argue that whilst the general populace may want to remain a territory of France for the benefits this entails, the negative impacts of colonialism are still being seen today, particularly in the running of the space centre.[10] For example, despite there being high poverty levels and unemployment rates of over 20% in the department, the cost of living remains high due to a dependence on mainland France for imported food and resources, yet large amounts of funding are invested in the space programme, rather than in public services for the department.[59]

The territory became the site of strikes and protests over the course of March and April 2017, which were held to highlight the insecurity and infrastructural issues facing French Guiana brought about by its colonial history.[10] Alongside 30 labour unions who launched strikes, the Collective of 500 Brothers led protests in Kourou, which spread across the entire country, and resonated in mainland France.[60][61] On 21 March 2017, the launch of an Ariane 5 rocket carrying a Brazilian satellite and a South Korean satellite was prevented due to protesters and workers on strike from the CSG blockading the centre.[62] Further strikes and occupation of the space centre meant that the satellites were not launched until May 2017.[63] Negotiations between the French government and Guianese protesters resulted in a rejection of a €1.1 billion offer made by the French, with the Guianese demanding at least €3 billion in aid.[57] Since the protests, CNES (National Centre for Space Studies), the French government space agency that operate the spaceport, added an additional €10 million to the €40 it had already pledged to fund economic and social programmes in French Guiana.[54] It has been said that the impact of these protests demonstrated not only the locality of the impact of colonialism, but also the vulnerability of postcolonialism in space travel to the organisation of workers and citizens.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Isar Aerospace to launch from French Guiana". Space News. 21 July 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Europe's Spaceport". ESA.int. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  3. ^ "CNES FACILITIES". CNES.fr. 23 April 2015.
  4. ^ "CNES at Europe's Spaceport". European Space Agency. ESA.
  5. ^ "ESA at Europe's Spaceport". European Space Agency. ESA.
  6. ^ "Arianespace at Europe's Spaceport". European Space Agency. ESA.
  7. ^ a b "Installation of the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana" 1 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Guiana Space Centre official website
  8. ^ a b "Europe's Spaceport" 26 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine. European Space Agency official website
  9. ^ Gorman, Alice (2009). "The Archaeology of Space Exploration". The Sociological Review. SAGE Publications. 57 (1_suppl): 132–145. doi:10.1111/j.1467-954x.2009.01821.x. ISSN 0038-0261. S2CID 142643666.
  10. ^ a b c d Haris Durrani (19 July 2019). "Is Spaceflight Colonialism". The Nation. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  11. ^ "Guyane : le Centre spatial guyanais occupé par des manifestants" (in French). La Croix. 5 April 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  12. ^ "Ariane 5 - Arianespace". Arianespace. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  13. ^ "Commercial Launch Vehicle | ILS Proton Breeze M | International Launch Services". ilslaunch.com. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  14. ^ "EUROPA II (1971)". CNES. 21 August 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  15. ^ . Space Launch Report. Archived from the original on 22 October 2009.
  16. ^ . ESA.int. 13 February 2012. Archived from the original on 12 March 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
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  18. ^ . Arianespace. 26 September 2011. Archived from the original on 30 June 2019.
  19. ^ "Europe's spaceport". ESA.
  20. ^ "The Ariane 6 system: On board-ground interfaces and launch facility" (PDF) (in French). CNES. 4 November 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  21. ^ "Ariane 6". ESA. 5 November 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  22. ^ "ELA-4 launch complex inaugurated at Guiana Space Centre". CNES. 28 September 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  23. ^ SpaceflightNow's VS01 flight status page 14 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  24. ^ Harvey, Brian (10 August 2007). Space Exploration 2007. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 138. ISBN 978-0-387-48758-8.
  25. ^ (in French) Le Port Spatial de l'Europe (CNES) 30 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  26. ^ "Europe To Pay Russia To Build Soyuz Pad At Kourou: Russia". SpaceDaily.
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  28. ^ "Arianespace hosts meeting of launch system manufacturers" (Press release). Evry. 11 October 2010.
  29. ^ Messier, Doug (22 October 2011). "Soyuz Launches From Kourou for First Time". Parabolic Arc. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
  30. ^ "Arianespace receives its fifth Ariane 5 of 2008". Arianespace. 28 July 2008. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  31. ^ . Arianespace. 8 November 2007. Archived from the original on 25 January 2008.
  32. ^ "DIAL/MIKA - NSSDC ID: 1970-017B". NASA NSSDC.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  33. ^ "DIAL/WIKA - NSSDC ID: 1970-017A". NASA NSSDC.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  34. ^ . Arianespace. Archived from the original on 1 June 2008.
  35. ^ "Vietnam successfully pilots Vinasat-1". VietNamNet. 22 April 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  36. ^ . www.eutelsat.com. Archived from the original on 22 January 2009.
  37. ^ (PDF) (Press release). Paris: Eutelsat Communications. 20 December 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 April 2012.
  38. ^ "ESA en route to the origins of the Universe". ESA. 14 May 2009. Retrieved 14 May 2009.
  39. ^ Amos, Jonathan (1 July 2009). "Ariane lofts biggest 'space bird'". BBC. Retrieved 2 July 2009.
  40. ^ . Archived from the original on 31 October 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  41. ^ Rosenberg, Zach. "First Soyuz launch from French Guiana". FlightGlobal. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
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  50. ^ "MTG-I1 Liftoff".
  51. ^ Clark, Stephen (26 October 2018). "Launch schedule". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
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  53. ^ "Rapport Annuel Économoque Guyane 2020" (PDF). Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  54. ^ a b Henry, Caleb (27 July 2018). "French space agency pledges 10-million-euro boost to French Guiana economy". Space News. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
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  56. ^ "Guyana: Protesters left the Guiana Space Center". La Croix. 5 April 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
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  58. ^ Redfield, Peter (19 December 2000). Space in the Tropics: From Convicts to Rockets in French Guiana. University California Press. ISBN 9780520923423. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
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  63. ^ "Strike-delayed European rocket launches in French Guiana". Phys Org. Retrieved 16 March 2022.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Guiana Space Centre.
  • Official website (in French)
  • Soyouz in Guiana
  • Europe's Spaceport 15 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine – information from ESA
  • List of Stratospheric Balloons launched from CSG – information from StratoCat
  • Arianespace mission status – information on current and upcoming Ariane missions; list of past missions

March 31, 2023
guiana, space, centre, french, centre, spatial, guyanais, also, called, europe, spaceport, european, spaceport, northwest, kourou, french, guiana, region, france, south, america, kourou, located, approximately, north, equator, latitude, operation, since, 1968,. The Guiana Space Centre French Centre spatial guyanais CSG also called Europe s Spaceport 2 3 is a European spaceport to the northwest of Kourou in French Guiana a region of France in South America Kourou is located approximately 310 mi 500 km north of the equator at a latitude of 5 In operation since 1968 it is a suitable location for a spaceport because of its equatorial location and open sea to the east Guiana Space CentreCentre spatial guyanaisPanoramic view of Guiana Space CentreAgency overviewFormed14 April 1964 1964 04 14 JurisdictionGovernment of FranceHeadquartersKourou French Guiana FranceEmployees1 700 direct 2020 7 500 indirect 2011 Agency executiveMarie Anne Clair directorParent agencyESA EUSPA CNESWebsitewww wbr cnes csg wbr frMapMap of Guiana Space CentreDetailed mapGuiana Space CentreOperatorArianespace ESATotal launches319Launch pad s 7Launch historyStatusActiveFirst launch10 March 1970Diamant B Mika WikaLast launch21 December 2022Vega rocket VV22 Pleiades Neo 5 amp 6ALFS launch historyStatusInactiveLaunches412First launch1968Last launch1981AssociatedrocketsSounding rockets ALD launch historyStatusInactiveLaunches8First launch10 March 1970Diamant B Mika WikaLast launch27 September 1975Diamant BP4 AuraAssociatedrocketsDiamant retired Spectrum future 1 ELV launch historyStatusActiveLaunches48First launch5 November 1971Europa II STV 4Last launch21 December 2022Vega C Pleiades Neo 5 amp 6AssociatedrocketsEuropa II retired Ariane 1 retired Ariane 2 retired Ariane 3 retired Vega rocket current ELA 2 launch historyStatusInactiveLaunches119First launch28 March 1986Ariane 3 GStar 2Last launch15 February 2003Ariane 4 Intelsat 907AssociatedrocketsAriane 3 retired Ariane 2 retired Ariane 4 retired ELA 3 launch historyStatusActiveLaunches116First launch4 June 1996Ariane 5 Cluster FM1Last launch13 December 2022Ariane 5 Galaxy 35 amp 36 MTG I1AssociatedrocketsAriane 5 current ELS launch historyStatusActiveLaunches27First launch21 October 2011Soyuz ST B Galileo satellite navigation Last launch10 February 2022Soyuz ST B OneWeb satellite constellationAssociatedrocketsSoyuz ST A current Soyuz ST B current ELA 4 launch historyStatusActiveLaunches0First launch2023 planned Ariane 6Last launchQAssociatedrocketsAriane 6 current The European Space Agency ESA the European Union Agency for the Space Programme EUSPA the French space agency CNES National Centre for Space Studies the Space Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan Azercosmos and the commercial company Arianespace conduct launches from Kourou 4 5 6 It was used by the ESA to send supplies to the International Space Station using the Automated Transfer Vehicle Contents 1 History 2 Facilities 2 1 BEC ELA 1 ELV 2 2 ELA 2 2 3 ELA 3 2 4 ELA 4 2 5 ELS Soyuz at CSG 2 6 Final assembly building 3 Launches 3 1 Launch safety 3 2 Early launches 3 3 Recent launches 4 Launch statistics 4 1 Flights by launcher 4 2 Flights by mission outcome 5 Local impact 5 1 Colonialism 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksHistory EditIn 1964 Guiana was selected to become the spaceport of France 7 8 replacing France s first launch site Centre interarmees d essais d engins speciaux in Hammaguir Algeria 9 In 1975 France offered to share Kourou with the ESA 7 8 Commercial launches are also bought by non European companies ESA pays two thirds of the spaceport s annual budget and has also financed the upgrades made during the development of the Ariane launchers On 4 April 2017 the center was occupied by 30 labour unions and indigenous peoples leaders in the midst of the 2017 social unrest in French Guiana highlighting problems from its colonial heritage 10 but was taken back on 24 April 2017 11 Facilities EditThis article s tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia See Wikipedia s guide to writing better articles for suggestions December 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message Vega launch pad in 2017 Ariane 5 final assembly building Ariane 6 pad in 2019 Soyuz 2 mobile service tower and flame trench Kourou ESTRACK station antenna The space centre was built in its current location for many reasons As the space centre is near the equator substantially less energy is required to manoeuvre a spacecraft from the spaceport into an equatorial geostationary orbit Adjacent to the centre is the open sea to the east reducing the chance of lower stages of rockets and debris from launch failures falling on or near human habitations Rockets usually launch to the east to take advantage of the angular momentum provided by Earth s rotation The near equatorial launch location of the Guiana Space Centre is meant to provide an advantage for launches to low inclination or geostationary Earth orbits compared to launches from spaceports at higher latitude This is because rockets can be launched into orbits with an inclination of as low as 6 The lowest inclination a rocket from Cape Canaveral could be launched to is 28 5 the latitude of Cape Canaveral Inclination change burns require significant amounts of propellant Changing inclination by 28 5 requires significant propellant mass reducing a rocket s payload capacity when transferring satellites into a geostationary transfer orbit GTO As a result of these phenomena similarly sized Proton and Ariane 5 rockets can send similar payloads to a low Earth orbit LEO However the Proton launched from high latitudes in Russia can only send 6 270 kg to GTO while a Kourou launched Ariane 5 can send more than 10 000 kg to GTO 12 13 BEC ELA 1 ELV Edit Main article ELA 1 Originally built in the 1960s under the name of Base Equatoriale du CECLES English ELDO Equatorial Base the pad located at 5 14 10 N 52 46 30 W 5 236 N 52 775 W 5 236 52 775 was designed for the Europa II launch vehicle One Europa II was launched from the site in 1971 which ended in failure due to a guidance problem before the program was cancelled 14 The pad at Giunana was demolished and subsequently rebuilt as the first launch complex for Ariane as ELA French Ensemble de Lancement Ariane Redesignated later as ELA 1 it was used for Ariane 1 and Ariane 2 and 3 launches until being retired in 1989 15 In November 2001 it was refurbished again for the Vega rocket and renamed ELV French Ensemble de Lancement Vega The first launch was launched on 13 February 2012 16 ELA 2 Edit Main article ELA 2 The ELA 2 pad French Ensemble de Lancement Ariane 2 located at 5 13 55 N 52 46 34 W 5 232 N 52 776 W 5 232 52 776 built in 1986 had been used for Ariane 4 launches from 1988 until 2003 Before 1988 although purpose built for Ariane 4 the pad hosted an Ariane 2 and two Ariane 3 launches The complex consisted of two areas the launcher preparation zone and the launch pad separated by one kilometre allowing a launcher to be assembled in the preparation zone while another launch from the pad A mobile service tower at the launch pad provided a protected environment for payload installation and final preparation of the rocket 17 In September 2011 the pad s service tower was demolished using explosives 18 ELA 3 Edit Main article ELA 3 ELA 3 French Ensemble de Lancement Ariane 3 has been active launching Ariane 5 rockets since 1996 This facility is located at 5 14 20 N 52 46 05 W 5 239 N 52 768 W 5 239 52 768 and covers an area of 21 km2 8 1 sq mi 19 ELA 4 Edit Main article ELA 4 ELA4 is located along the Route de l Espace in the Roche Christine site at 5 15 45 N 52 47 27 W 5 26258 N 52 79074 W 5 26258 52 79074 between ELA 3 and ELS launch facilities CNES was responsible for the construction of the Ariane 6 ground segments including the new launch pad Earthworks on the 150 hectare launch site began at the end of June 2015 and was completed at the start of 2016 Four platforms were levelled to accommodate the launch pad the liquid oxygen and hydrogen tanks and the assembly building Civil engineering works on the flame trench and other buildings began in the summer of 2016 and ended in 2019 20 21 The new launch facility was inaugurated on 28 September 2021 with first flight of the Ariane 6 scheduled in 2023 22 ELS Soyuz at CSG Edit Main articles Ensemble de Lancement Soyouz and Soyuz at the Guiana Space Centre ESA has built ELS French Ensemble de Lancement Soyouz at 5 18 18 N 52 50 02 W 5 305 N 52 834 W 5 305 52 834 for launching Russian built Soyuz 2 rockets The first Soyuz launch from ELS was postponed several times but launched on 21 October 2011 23 ELS is located on the territory of Sinnamary commune 27 km 17 mi from Kourou harbor 24 It is 10 km 6 2 mi northwest of the site used for the Ariane 5 launches Under the terms of the Russo European joint venture ESA will augment its own launch vehicle fleet with Soyuz rockets using them to launch ESA or commercial payloads and the Russians will get access to the Kourou spaceport for launching their own payloads with Soyuz rockets Russia will use the Guiana Space Centre in addition to Baikonur Cosmodrome The Guiana location has the significant benefit of greatly increased payload capability owing to the near equatorial position A Soyuz rocket with a 1 7 tones to geostationary transfer orbit GTO performance from Baikonur will increase its payload potential to 2 8 tones from the Guiana launch site 25 The ELS project is being co funded by Arianespace ESA and the European Union with CNES being the prime contractor The project has a projected cost of approximately 320 million where 120 million are allocated for modernizing the Soyuz vehicle 26 The official opening of the launch site construction occurred on 27 February 2007 Excavation work however had previously begun several months beforehand On 13 September 2010 Spaceflight Now reported that after several delays in the construction of a mobile gantry the launch pad had been finished and the first flight of the Soyuz was expected to occur in early 2011 27 By October 2010 18 launch contracts were signed Arianespace has ordered 24 launchers from Russian industry 28 On 21 October 2011 two Galileo IOV 1 and IOV 2 satellites were launched using a Soyuz ST rocket in the first Russian Soyuz vehicle ever launched from Europe s Spaceport in French Guiana 29 Final assembly building Edit Astrium assembles each Ariane 5 launcher in the Launcher Integration Building The vehicle is then delivered to the Final Assembly Building for payload integration by Arianespace 30 The Final Assembly Building is located 2 8 km 1 7 mi from the ELA 3 launch zone The mobile launch table completes the trip with an Ariane 5 in about one hour It is then secured in place over the launch pad s flame ducts 31 Launches Edit Ariane 4 launched from the Guiana Space Centre on 10 August 1992 An Ariane 5 lifts off from Kourou on 29 August 2013 Sentinel 2A launch on Vega on 23 June 2015 Soyuz rollout to ELS pad on 9 October 2012 Ariane 5 flight VA256 lifts off from Kourou with the James Webb Space Telescope on 25 December 2021 Launch safety Edit Fire safety is ensured by a detachment of the Paris Fire Brigade a branch of the French Army Security around the base is ensured by French Gendarmerie forces assisted by the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment of the French Foreign Legion citation needed Before and during launch windows CSG facility security is significantly enhanced by anti personnel and anti aircraft measures the exact configurations of which are classified by the French military All entrants to the launch complex are also subject to checks for proof of permission to enter the facility citation needed The Guiana Space Centre as per CNES also contains the Iles du Salut a former penal colony including the infamous Devil s Island Now a tourist site the islands are under the launching trajectory for geosynchronous orbit and have to be evacuated during launches Early launches Edit 10 March 1970 The first Diamant B launched the DIAL MIKA and DIAL WIKA satellites DIAL MIKA failed during launch but it entered orbit with a total mass of 111 kg 32 DIAL WIKA provided data for about two months after launch 33 Recent launches Edit 5 October 2007 An Ariane 5 GS launched from CSG carrying Intelsat 11 and Optus D2 34 9 March 2008 An Ariane 5 launched carrying the ATV Automated Transfer Vehicle Jules Verne in preparation for docking with the International Space Station ISS This was the first launch of the ESA unmanned resupply craft 18 April 2008 An Ariane 5 launched carrying Vinasat 1 Vietnam s first satellite 35 14 August 2008 An Ariane 5 carrying Superbird 7 for Mitsubishi Electric Corporation and AMC 21 for SES Americom 20 December 2008 An Ariane 5 carrying HOT BIRD 9 and W2M for Eutelsat 36 37 14 May 2009 An Ariane 5 carrying the ESA s Herschel and Planck space telescopes 38 1 July 2009 An Ariane 5 carrying TerreStar 1 the heaviest commercial telecommunications satellite ever launched 39 18 December 2009 An Ariane 5 carrying Helios 2B European military observation satellite used by France Belgium Spain and Greece 40 21 May 2011 04 38 GMT 08 00 An Ariane 5 ECA launch vehicle launched carrying ST 2 Satellite twice as powerful Singtel s first satellite ST 1 which was launched back in 1998 It will provide 20 more transponder capacity and a wider coverage footprint than ST 1 with C band and Ku band coverage of the Middle East Central Asia Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia citation needed 21 October 2011 A Soyuz 2 carrying two Galileo satellites was launched This was the first launch of a Soyuz rocket at the Centre Spatial Guyanais 41 17 December 2011 A Soyuz carrying the French space agency s Pleiades 1 Earth imaging satellite four ELISA electronic intelligence satellites and the SSOT remote sensing satellite for the Chilean military This was the second launch of a Soyuz at the Guiana Space Centre 42 13 February 2012 The Vega which was designed in Italy lifted off at 10 00 UTC on its maiden voyage The launcher released nine satellites into orbit two Italian satellites and seven pico satellites 43 5 July 2012 The unmanned Ariane 5 rocket took off to send an American communication satellite and European weather monitoring spacecraft into orbit Liftoff occurred at 21 36 UTC 44 30 August 2013 Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO launched the advanced multi band communication satellite GSAT 7 45 It was 17th Indian satellite launched from ESA with Ariane 5 46 16 October 2014 An Ariane 5 launch vehicle carrying the communication satellite ARSAT 1 to orbit It is the first geostationary satellite built by a Latin American country Argentina and the second one of the Americas after the U S 30 September 2015 An Ariane 5 launch vehicle carrying the communication satellite ARSAT 2 to orbit being the second Argentine geostationary satellite built in two years 1 October 2015 Sky Muster NBN Co 1A is a communication satellite launched on an Ariane 5 ECA launch vehicle Sky Muster is the first satellite of an operation to improve Australia s internet with the NBN program 6 October 2016 Sky Muster II NBN Co 1B is a communication satellite launched on an Ariane 5 ECA launch vehicle Sky Muster II is the second satellite of an operation to improve Australia s internet with the NBN program 28 January 2017 A Soyuz 2 STB carrying the geostationary communication satellite Hispasat 36W 1 to orbit It is the first of the ESA s Small GEO class of satellites 14 February 2017 An Ariane 5 launch vehicle carrying the commercial communication satellites Sky Brasil 1 Intelsat 32e and Telekom 3S launched the satellites to a geostationary orbit 25 January 2018 Partial failure of Ariane 5 launch vehicle on Ariane flight VA241 19 October 2018 An Ariane 5 launch vehicle launches the European Japanese BepiColombo mission to Mercury 47 5 February 2019 Ariane 5 launched the Saudi Geostationary Satellite SGS 1 also known as SaudiGeosat 1 HellasSat 4 11 July 2019 Vega launch vehicle failed to launch Falcon Eye 1 satellite for United Arab Emirates Armed Forces 15 August 2020 An Ariane 5 launched MEV 2 BSAT 4b and Galaxy 30 48 25 December 2021 James Webb Space Telescope 49 13 December 2022 An Ariane 5 launched the first third generation Meteosat Meteosat MTG I1 50 Launch statistics EditAs of 21 December 2022 51 52 As of 2017 update Kourou counts amongst the spaceports with the highest percentage of successful launches both successive and overall Here is a chronology of all orbital launches from the Kourou spaceport since 1970 under the French and European space programmes Flights by launcher Edit 3 6 9 12 15 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 In development Ariane 6 Active Ariane 5 Soyuz ST VegaRetired Diamant Europa 2 Ariane 1 Ariane 2 Ariane 3 Ariane 4 Flights by mission outcome Edit 3 6 9 12 15 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 Success Failure Partial Failure Scheduled Charts include all orbital launches from Kourou sounding rockets are excluded Historical data launch tables from List of Ariane launches Soyuz ST Vega and Encyclopedia Aeronautica Local impact EditThis section is written like a personal reflection personal essay or argumentative essay that states a Wikipedia editor s personal feelings or presents an original argument about a topic Please help improve it by rewriting it in an encyclopedic style October 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Colonialism Edit The space sector was responsible for about 15 of French Guiana s GDP in 2014 around half of the 28 it was in 1990 This reduction is mostly due to expansion in other sectors rather than decreasing space activity As of 2020 the space sector employed 4620 people in Guiana meaning the industry was responsible for just under 10 of salaried jobs in the territory 53 though there are estimates that as many as 9000 people are employed directly and indirectly as a result of activities at the spaceport 54 The Guiana Space Centre or CSG is one of the spaceports in the world that receives the most traffic and it receives large amounts of funding from the European Space Agency ESA with the organisation covering around 66 of the spaceport s annual budget as well as financing new facilities 55 Indigenous and local activist groups argue that mainland France is only interested in French Guiana as far as the space centre is concerned and the funding that the space centre receives is symbolic given the inequity in living standards seen between the department and mainland France 56 57 Historically the space centre has been referred to as its own state and activists have accused both the French state and the space centre of colonial practices 58 Decolonisation of space exploration is mostly focused on large scale efforts regarding outer space environments however issues surrounding the Guiana Space Centre have been attributed to the continued postcolonial running of French Guiana Proponents of this line of thinking argue that whilst the general populace may want to remain a territory of France for the benefits this entails the negative impacts of colonialism are still being seen today particularly in the running of the space centre 10 For example despite there being high poverty levels and unemployment rates of over 20 in the department the cost of living remains high due to a dependence on mainland France for imported food and resources yet large amounts of funding are invested in the space programme rather than in public services for the department 59 The territory became the site of strikes and protests over the course of March and April 2017 which were held to highlight the insecurity and infrastructural issues facing French Guiana brought about by its colonial history 10 Alongside 30 labour unions who launched strikes the Collective of 500 Brothers led protests in Kourou which spread across the entire country and resonated in mainland France 60 61 On 21 March 2017 the launch of an Ariane 5 rocket carrying a Brazilian satellite and a South Korean satellite was prevented due to protesters and workers on strike from the CSG blockading the centre 62 Further strikes and occupation of the space centre meant that the satellites were not launched until May 2017 63 Negotiations between the French government and Guianese protesters resulted in a rejection of a 1 1 billion offer made by the French with the Guianese demanding at least 3 billion in aid 57 Since the protests CNES National Centre for Space Studies the French government space agency that operate the spaceport added an additional 10 million to the 40 it had already pledged to fund economic and social programmes in French Guiana 54 It has been said that the impact of these protests demonstrated not only the locality of the impact of colonialism but also the vulnerability of postcolonialism in space travel to the organisation of workers and citizens 10 See also Edit Spaceflight portal South America portal France portalFrench space program European Space Operations Centre ESOC European Space Research and Technology Centre ESTEC European Space Astronomy Centre ESAC European Astronaut Centre EAC European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications ECSAT ESA Centre for Earth Observation ESRIN European Space Tracking Network ESTRACK European Space Agency ESA 3rd Foreign Infantry RegimentReferences Edit Isar Aerospace to launch from French Guiana Space News 21 July 2022 Retrieved 2 August 2022 Europe s Spaceport ESA int Retrieved 13 January 2021 CNES FACILITIES CNES fr 23 April 2015 CNES at Europe s Spaceport European Space Agency ESA ESA at Europe s Spaceport European Space Agency ESA Arianespace at Europe s Spaceport European Space Agency ESA a b Installation of the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana Archived 1 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine Guiana Space Centre official website a b Europe s Spaceport Archived 26 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine European Space Agency official website Gorman Alice 2009 The Archaeology of Space Exploration The Sociological Review SAGE Publications 57 1 suppl 132 145 doi 10 1111 j 1467 954x 2009 01821 x ISSN 0038 0261 S2CID 142643666 a b c d Haris Durrani 19 July 2019 Is Spaceflight Colonialism The Nation Retrieved 12 February 2022 Guyane le Centre spatial guyanais occupe par des manifestants in French La Croix 5 April 2017 Retrieved 5 April 2017 Ariane 5 Arianespace Arianespace Retrieved 23 August 2017 Commercial Launch Vehicle ILS Proton Breeze M International Launch Services ilslaunch com Retrieved 23 August 2017 EUROPA II 1971 CNES 21 August 2019 Retrieved 5 March 2021 Pad List World Launch Sites Space Launch Report Archived from the original on 22 October 2009 Vega Liftoff ESA int 13 February 2012 Archived from the original on 12 March 2013 Retrieved 12 September 2013 Guiana Space Center Site advantages Arianespace Retrieved 5 March 2021 The Spaceport s ELA 2 launch facility is dismantled after an illustrious career Arianespace 26 September 2011 Archived from the original on 30 June 2019 Europe s spaceport ESA The Ariane 6 system On board ground interfaces and launch facility PDF in French CNES 4 November 2015 Retrieved 9 November 2021 Ariane 6 ESA 5 November 2021 Retrieved 9 November 2021 ELA 4 launch complex inaugurated at Guiana Space Centre CNES 28 September 2021 Retrieved 9 November 2021 SpaceflightNow s VS01 flight status page Archived 14 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine Harvey Brian 10 August 2007 Space Exploration 2007 Springer Science amp Business Media p 138 ISBN 978 0 387 48758 8 in French Le Port Spatial de l Europe CNES Archived 30 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine Europe To Pay Russia To Build Soyuz Pad At Kourou Russia SpaceDaily Soyuz Vega flights from French Guiana set for 2011 Arianespace hosts meeting of launch system manufacturers Press release Evry 11 October 2010 Messier Doug 22 October 2011 Soyuz Launches From Kourou for First Time Parabolic Arc Retrieved 24 October 2011 Arianespace receives its fifth Ariane 5 of 2008 Arianespace 28 July 2008 Retrieved 12 January 2023 Ariane 5 rolls out for Arianespace s fifth launch of 2007 Arianespace 8 November 2007 Archived from the original on 25 January 2008 DIAL MIKA NSSDC ID 1970 017B NASA NSSDC This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain DIAL WIKA NSSDC ID 1970 017A NASA NSSDC This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain Arianespace boosts Intelsat 11 and Optus D2 into orbit Arianespace Archived from the original on 1 June 2008 Vietnam successfully pilots Vinasat 1 VietNamNet 22 April 2011 Retrieved 14 August 2013 Eutelsat satellite fleet Upcoming launches www eutelsat com Archived from the original on 22 January 2009 Eutelsat s Hot Bird 9 and W2M Satellites Lofted into Orbit PDF Press release Paris Eutelsat Communications 20 December 2008 Archived from the original PDF on 6 April 2012 ESA en route to the origins of the Universe ESA 14 May 2009 Retrieved 14 May 2009 Amos Jonathan 1 July 2009 Ariane lofts biggest space bird BBC Retrieved 2 July 2009 Helios 2 Archived from the original on 31 October 2012 Retrieved 19 December 2012 Rosenberg Zach First Soyuz launch from French Guiana FlightGlobal Retrieved 11 August 2014 Arianespace VSO2 mission Soyuz STA orbits Pleiades 1A ELISA and SSOT Arianespace Retrieved 11 August 2014 Successful lift off for Vega rocket News24 Follow Ariane launch live Centre National d Etudes Spatiales CNES 23 April 2015 India launches first defence satellite GSAT 7 Archived 4 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine Navy s first satellite GSAT 7 now in the Space Archived 1 November 2014 at archive today The Hindu 30 August 2013 by Madhumati D S BepiColombo Spacecraft Launch on 7 Year Trek to Mercury for Europe and Japan space com 20 October 2018 Retrieved 20 October 2018 Ariane 5 launches Mission Extension Vehicle two communications satellites to orbit 14 August 2020 Retrieved 17 August 2020 Launch Countdown Webb NASA MTG I1 Liftoff Clark Stephen 26 October 2018 Launch schedule Spaceflight Now Retrieved 28 October 2018 Le Centre Spatial Guyanais CNES cnes csg fr Rapport Annuel Economoque Guyane 2020 PDF Retrieved 16 March 2022 a b Henry Caleb 27 July 2018 French space agency pledges 10 million euro boost to French Guiana economy Space News Retrieved 15 March 2022 European Space Agency Europe s Spaceport ESA Retrieved 16 March 2022 Guyana Protesters left the Guiana Space Center La Croix 5 April 2017 Retrieved 16 March 2022 a b D Auria Peter 17 April 2017 How a handful of South American protestors took Europe s space program hostage Quartz Retrieved 16 March 2022 Redfield Peter 19 December 2000 Space in the Tropics From Convicts to Rockets in French Guiana University California Press ISBN 9780520923423 Retrieved 16 March 2022 MacDonald Scott 20 April 2021 Has anything changed since French Guiana s 2017 social upheaval Global Americans Retrieved 15 March 2022 French Guiana paralysed by general strike AlJazeera Retrieved 16 March 2022 Breeden Aurelien 27 March 2017 Strikes Shut Down French Guiana With Effects Resonating in Paris New York Times Retrieved 16 March 2022 Spaceport protest delays rocket launch in French Guiana BBC News 21 March 2017 Retrieved 15 March 2022 Strike delayed European rocket launches in French Guiana Phys Org Retrieved 16 March 2022 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Guiana Space Centre Official website in French Soyouz in Guiana Europe s Spaceport Archived 15 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine information from ESA List of Stratospheric Balloons launched from CSG information from StratoCat Arianespace mission status information on current and upcoming Ariane missions list of past missions Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Guiana Space Centre amp oldid 1147053518, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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