Showing posts with label Spaceports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spaceports. Show all posts
Monday, August 6, 2012
GUIANA SPACE CENTRE AT KOUROU
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 details of the individual facilities at Guiana Space Centre, Pl visit the following web pages, (which are Google translated from original French pages).
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).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)