This unusual photo shows the MN Toucan’s arrival at Pariacabo port, viewed from one of the local streets in the Kourou area.  The MN Toucan is one of two roll-on/roll-off vessels utilized by Arianespace to carry launch vehicle elements from Europe to South America, providing a controlled and guaranteed system of transport.   After docking at Pariacabo port, the Ariane 5 ECA’s components were unloaded and transferred by road to the Spaceport.

After being removed from the protective shipping container, Ariane 5 ECA’s core cryogenic stage is readied for its orientation to the vertical position – marking the first step in this new mission campaign at the Spaceport.  The stage’s Vulcain 2 main engine and nozzle are protected by blue- and purple-colored coverings.

The core cryogenic stage is prepared for its positioning over one of Ariane 5’s two mobile launch tables, where the vehicle’s initial buildup will occur in the coming weeks inside the Spaceport’s Launcher Integration Building.  The mobile launch table’s main platform and fixed umbilical mast are partly visible at left.

One of the Ariane 5’s two solid rocket boosters approaches the Launcher Integration Building, completing its transfer from the booster integration facility at Europe’s Spaceport.  The booster is installed on a pallet that moves along a section of the dual-track rail network which links together the primary elements of Ariane 5’s launch site in French Guiana.