SPOTLIGHT ON SPACEPORTS - GUIANA SPACE CENTRE

The Guiana Space Centre or, more commonly, Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG) is a French spaceport near Kourou in French Guiana. Operational since 1968, it is particularly suitable as a location for a spaceport due to its proximity to the equator, and that launches are in a favourable direction over water. The European Space Agency, the French space agency CNES, and the commercial Arianespace company conduct launches from Kourou.

The location was selected in 1964 to become the spaceport of France. When the European Space Agency (ESA) was founded in 1975, France offered to share Kourou with ESA. Commercial launches are bought also 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.

The ground facilities at Guiana Space Centre (GSC) include launcher (l'Ensemble de Lancement) and satellite preparation buildings, launch operation facilities and a solid propellant factory. The GSC facility covers a total of 850 square kilometers. There are two active launch zones – ELA-3 (for Ariane 5) and Soyuz launch pad.            More details

The details of the individual facilities at Guiana Space Centre, Pl visit the following web pages, (which are Google translated from original French pages). 

• BOOSTER INTEGRATION BUILDING 
• LAUNCHER INTEGRATION BUILDING
• FINAL ASSEMBLY BUILDING 
• LAUNCH PAD NO. 3 (ELA-3)
              -Ariane 5 launch Table
• CENTRAL CONTROL CDL3 
• ROOM 2 JUPITER 
• The propellant plant GUYANA 
• THE BENCH TRIAL EAP 
• PRODUCTION OF LIQUID FUELS 
• BUILDING PAYLOAD S5 
• ELA 3 CONSTRUCTION