Feature story
Soyuz launch site hardware arrives in French Guiana
July 28, 2008
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The introduction of Soyuz flight operations at Europe's Spaceport is one major step closer to reality with this weekend's major arrival of hardware and systems for the workhorse vehicle's new launch site in French Guiana.
Completing its trans-Atlantic voyage from St. Petersburg in Russia, the ship Flinterland brought 160 containers with infrastructure items for the operation of Soyuz and its Fregat upper stage, including the launch site's service cabin – a major element that provides access to the vehicle on the pad.
The Flinterland docked at the Degrad-des-Cannes, near the French Guiana capital city of Cayenne, and the unloading process will take two to three days.
This shipment clears the way for arrival in French Guiana of the main contingent of Russian technicians, engineers and other specialists who will be responsible for completing the Soyuz launch facility, which already is well advanced in its preparation.
The medium-lift Soyuz will operate side-by-side with Arianespace's heavy-lift Ariane 5 and lightweight Vega vehicles at the Spaceport, providing a family of launchers that cover a full range of customer's mission requirements.
Soyz' inaugural launch from the Guiana Space Center is scheduled for second half of 2009.
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