Guiana Space Centre (Kourou)
1968 to present
Site Details
- Country: France (French Guiana)
- Operator: CNES and ESA
- Type: Government
Overview
The European gateway to space at 5 degrees north, ideal for eastward launches to geostationary orbit. Ariane rockets flew from 1979, joined today by Vega and Ariane 6, which first flew in July 2024. The jungle spaceport is the backbone of European access to orbit.
Related Launch Sites
Ensemble de Lancement Soyouz
The Soyuz launch site near Sinnamary let Arianespace fly Russian Soyuz rockets from French Guiana, gaining payload from the low la...
ELA-3
The launch complex built for the heavy Ariane 5, whose first flight from the pad in June 1996 ended in an explosion caused by a so...
ELA-4
The launch complex built for the Ariane 6, with a mobile gantry that rolls back before liftoff instead of moving the rocket to the...
ELA-1
First built for the Europa II rocket, whose single launch from Kourou failed in 1971, ELA-1 was rebuilt to launch the early Ariane...