The new building will be dedicated to filling propellants on Soyuz’s upper stage, Fregat. It will be built as part of the Soyuz launch complex, and should be ready in the first half of 2015.

Once this new building is ready, the facilities currently used for propellant filling on Fregat will be used to prepare payloads for the three launchers operated by Arianespace, Ariane 5, Soyuz and Vega.

The overall aim is to increase Arianespace’s yearly launch capacity from the Guiana Space Center, by reducing the interval between two missions, as well as the preparation time needed for Soyuz launches.

Stéphane Israël, Chairman and CEO of Arianespace, said: “This new facility will greatly increase the operational flexibility offered by our family of launchers at CSG, Ariane, Soyuz and Vega. It will enable us to increase our total annual launch capacity and our flexibility, which will in turn further improve the service we deliver to our customers. It’s excellent news for both our customers and the employment situation in French Guiana.”