Overview | Who does what? | S5 satellite preparation facility | Practical information | Public visits | Spaceport history

The Spaceport

“Any mass, to any orbit, anytime”

• Ariane 5 offers the commercial marketplace’s greatest lift capacity, with 10 metric tons delivered to GTO and up to 20 metric tons to LEO
  
• Soyuz is an exceptionally versatile launcher, perfectly suited for mid-range payloads, MEO, LEO and Sun-synchronous satellites, as well as Earth escape missions
  
• Vega is Europe’s new lightweight launch vehicle and is tailored for small- to medium-sized satellite payloads on missions to LEO and Sun-synchronous orbit

Spaceport introduction > Practical information

The Spaceport in French Guiana is a strictly controlled facility - as is any operational launch base around the world.

Access is determined by individuals' requirements, depending whether they are Ariane launch team members, technical support personnel from Arianespace's customers, guests and VIPs attending a launch, or the general public.

Ariane team members and customer support personnel have access to the zones to which they are assigned during a launch campaign. They have photo ID badges that are verified at the numerous checkpoints situated throughout the Spaceport.

Guests and VIPs who are invited to watch a launch typically arrive in French Guiana one or two days before liftoff. They are given guided visits of the Spaceport, and attend pre-launch briefings that provide in-depth information on the mission. For the Ariane liftoff, guests are taken to a viewing site located a safe distance from the launch zone, or they follow the countdown and launch from the Jupiter control center in the Spaceport's technical center.

For the general public, tours of the Spaceport with qualified guides are offered, but advance booking is required. A space museum with gift shop is located on the public side of the Spaceport's technical zone.

A developed infrastructure for customers and guests

Kourou, the city nearest the Spaceport, has witnessed a dramatic growth that accompanied the Ariane program's success. It is home to many space center employees who are permanent or long-term residents, and has housing complexes set up for the visiting support teams from companies that produce elements and components of Ariane launch vehicles.

Room capacity in world-class hotels has been increased at Kourou and other locations in French Guiana to meet the needs of Arianespace customers and invited guests to Ariane launches. Many restaurants are in operation, catering to the diverse tastes of both residents and guests.

Arianespace took the initiative to create Freelance Service, a commercial company that sees to the needs of customer personnel during their extended stays in French Guiana while preparing their payloads for launch. Freelance Service arranges tours and outings, provides movies and video programs for viewing, and helps out with the big and small details that make life away from home easier and more enjoyable.

French Guiana key facts

The average temperature in French Guiana is 28 deg. C. (83 deg. F.), with approximately 90 percent relative humidity. All of the Spaceport's buildings are air-conditioned. For visitors, light sportswear-type clothes are recommended.

As a French overseas department, French Guiana uses the Euro for its currency. Travelers' checks and credit cards are accepted in many locations.

A current yellow fever vaccination is mandatory for entry into the country. Protection against malaria is recommended, as is protection against tetanus and poliolitis.

For French citizens, a national identity card or passport is required to visit French Guiana. Visitors from other countries must have a valid passport. Visas are required for citizens of countries not belonging to the European Economic Community, although this requirement has been waived for American and Canadian citizens.