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Feature story

Construction of the Soyuz launch site in French Guiana moves into full swing

2006 Customer Seminar special report

May 1, 2006

The new Soyuz launch site in French Guiana is rapidly taking shape as preparations remain on track for the November 2008 startup of missions from Europe's Spaceport with this workhorse Russian launch vehicle.

Soyuz launchers operating from the Spaceport will have their payloads integrated with the vehicle in the horizontal position.

Located approximately 10 km. northwest of the existing Ariane 5 launch site, the new facility will include the Soyuz launcher integration building, a connecting railway to the launch pad, a dedicated control center and propellant storage areas.

The earthen foundations for these facilities are now in place, and excavation has begun on the massive launch pad flame duct, which will be 100 meters long and 27 meters deep. This is the same flame duct configuration used for the main Soyuz launch pad at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, ensuring a similar acoustic and thermal environment during Soyuz liftoffs from the Spaceport as validated during the large number of missions performed at the Cosmodrome.

Arianespace CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall expects an average of two to four Soyuz launches from the Spaceport annually, with the ability to perform two consecutive missions within a month.

Soyuz vehicles used at the Spaceport will be based on the Russian launcher family that has performed more than 1,700 missions to date. For its flights from French Guiana, an enlarged payload fairing will be employed, along with upgrades to the propulsion system, flight controls and the telemetry system that adapt the launcher to Arianespace's mission needs and meet the Spaceport's operational requirements.

The Spaceport will combine traditional Russian launcher integration procedures with payload mating processes typically used in the West. As a result, the basic Soyuz will be assembled horizontally in the launcher integration building, and then transported 700 meters by rail line to the launch pad, where it will be raised to the vertical position. A purpose-built mobile gantry then will be moved into place, protecting the launcher and providing clean room conditions for the payload integration atop Soyuz.

Soyuz launch vehicles will be shipped to the Spaceport from Russia by sea, using Arianespace's ocean-going roll-on/roll-off ships that already carry Ariane launcher components from Europe to French Guiana. As part of Arianespace's integrated launcher family policy, these same ships also will be employed to transport Vega launchers from their production sites in Italy to French Guiana.