Spaceport introduction > Spaceport history
France made the decision to build its new launch base at French Guiana in 1964, shifting operations to South America from the French Sahara.
Selection of the Guiana Space Center site came after detailed studies of 14 potential sites pre-selected from a worldwide list.
Europe's Spaceport became operational in April, 1968 with the launch of a French Veronique sounding rocket.
Eight missions with France's Diamant B launch vehicle were performed beginning in March, 1970, followed in November, 1971 by the European Europa launcher.
Management and technical difficulties with Europa led to a complete overhaul of Europe's launcher activities – from which the Ariane program was born.
Ariane enters service with the ELA-1 facility
The ELA-1 launch complex was the first major launch facility used for Ariane. The launch site originally was built for the Europa launch vehicle, and was then adapted for Ariane after the Europa program ended.
The facility included a launch control center and the launch zone. In the launch zone, Ariane vehicles were assembled on the launch pad and protected by a mobile service tower during the build-up and satellite integration process. The mobile tower was rolled back prior to liftoff.
ELA-1 was the only Ariane facility that operated in this manner. Its ELA-2 successor, as well as the ELA-3 complex now used for Ariane 5, separated the launcher assembly area from the launch zone - allowing one vehicle to be prepared on the pad for its upcoming mission while another undergoes its build-up in the assembly area.
The ELA-1 complex entered service for Ariane on December 24, 1979 with the first liftoff of an Ariane 1 on Flight L01. During its operational service, a total of 25 Ariane 1, Ariane 2 and Ariane 3 vehicles were launched from ELA-1. The final liftoff from ELA-1 occurred on July 11, 1989, when an Ariane 3 carried the Olympus satellite on Flight 32.
This historic facility is now being given a second life, as the ELA-1 site is being refurbished and modernized for use as the launch complex for Arianespace’s new Vega lightweight launcher.
Ariane 4 becomes the industry’s benchmark launcher
The Spaceport's ELA-2 launch complex supported the Ariane 4 vehicle family's fast-paced launch schedule from its service entry in 1986 through the final Ariane 4 mission in February 2003.
The complex consisted of two areas: the launcher preparation zone and the launch zone. These two areas were separated, allowing one launcher to undergo final checkout and payload integration in the launch zone while a second was being assembled in the launcher preparation zone.
ELA-2 was designed for approximately 10-11 launches per year with an interval of one month between successive missions. Arianespace maintained a high operational mission rate throughout the Ariane 4 program to meet the commercial demand. A total of 116 Ariane 4s were launched from ELA-2, successfully orbiting 158 primary payloads (plus 24 auxiliary passengers) with a combined mass of well over 400 metric tons.
Entering the heavy-lift era with Ariane 5
The ELA-3 launch facility was developed for Ariane 5, with the first mission performed from this site in 1996.
Its design benefitted from Arianespace’s extensive launch operations experience, and encompasses a launch vehicle preparation zone with separate Ariane 5 integration and final assembly buildings, the launch zone, as well as a dedicated facility for the production of propellant used in the center and aft segments of Ariane 5’s two solid rocket boosters. All of these areas are connected by a rail line system, facilitating the transfer of launcher components and the completed vehicles.
The ELA-3 facility’s ability to support a sustained mission rate was demonstrated by the nine launches performed by Ariane 5s in a 12-month period from August 14, 2007 to August 14, 2008. During this period, the heavy-lift vehicles orbited 16 civilian and military telecommunications satellites, along with the first Automated Transfer Vehicle for the International Space Station – lofting a combined total payload weight of 75,430 kg.
Soyuz comes to the Spaceport
Preparations for the Soyuz’ introduction began in April 2004, as construction started on the massive ELS launch complex for this Russian-built workhorse medium-lift vehicle. With this new facility, the Spaceport’s operational area is extended northward up the French Guiana coast.
The ELS facility will include the launcher integration building, launch control center, and the launch pad– with its massive 149 meter-wide X 123 meter-long flame duct.
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