Guianese Space center

See also: CSG

The Guianese space center (CSG) is a French Launching base and European, located close to Kourou in French Guiana. True industrial site classified Seveso, it is of this base that are assembled and launched the commercial launchers ARIANE.

History

Following the independence of the Algeria and Agreements of Evian in 1962, CNES is in the obligation to leave the launching base of Hammaguir. On the whole, fourteen sites are studied: All these sites have like joint point to be close to the equator, which offers optimum conditions for launchings of space engines. The effect of sling which is generated by terrestrial rotation close to the equator makes it possible to obtain 15% of additional performance profit compared to the launching base of Cape Kennedy located more at north.

The report/ratio of CNES recommends the Guyana, which offers several advantages like the weak density of population and the broad opening on the Atlantic Ocean which thus makes it possible to reduce the risks in the event of problem with the launcher. The maritime frontage also makes it possible to make launching of satellites on the polar Orbite under optimal conditions. Moreover the zone is not prone to the earthquakes and the cyclones.

The Prime Minister for the time follows these recommendations and the April 14th 1964, following a ministerial decree, establishes the Guianese Center space in Kourou.

In September 1965 begin the first alteration work, where more 2  500 people work. The CSG inaugurates its first launching the April 9th 1968 with the Fusée Veronique. Will follow the following years the launching of 9 fused Diamant. Of 1967 with 1971 the Guianese space center was also used for the settling and with the tests of the fused Europa, without much success, but which allowed, by the successive failures, to prepare with the design of the ARIANE rocket.

ARIANE

See also: Rocket ARIANE

When the European space agency (ESA) was created in 1973, France proposed to share Kourou with the new agency. The ESA finances two thirds of the annual budget of the base of Kourou, and also paid its modernization at the time of the setting at the data point of the launchers ARIANE. The first launching took place in 1979 and to date counts (October 2nd, 2007) 42 shootings.

Soyuz

See also: Soyuz

See also: Starsem

Within the framework of a cooperation agreement Russo-European, a Russo-European company Starsem was created in 1996 and:

  • the ESA will use launchers Soyuz for its own shootings (as well for launchings for its own account as to put into orbit payloads)
  • the Russian will have access to the base of Kourou for launchings on their account with Soyuz rockets. They will use the Guianese space center in alternative to their Cosmodrome de Baïkonour with the Kazakhstan while profiting from a higher capacity of launching thanks to the proximity of the equator.

The not of shooting Soyuz is currently in construction in Guyana on the commune of Sinnamary. This work, is cofinanced by the ESA and Arianespace. The control of work is ensured by CNES, assisted of Arianespace. The first launching of Soyuz of the CSG is envisaged in November 2008.

Vega

See also: Vega

In the framework of a program of the ESA, the family of the commercial launchers of Arianespace will increase with the contribution of Vega, a new rocket whose service entrance is envisaged fine 2007. High of surroundings thirty meters, its flights will allow the carrying of satellites of small average cuts. Vega will use the whole of launching ELA-1, formerly reserved for the historical takes-off of ARIANE 1. The control room already exists and the old launching pad of ARIANE 1 is being renovated in the sight of its new operational career.

Vega will have a crucial role within the range of the European launchers. It comes in complement from ARIANE 5 (optimized for the large satellites deposited on orbit of transfer and the basic flights altitude with very large passengers) and Soyuz (cut for the carrying of machines of average weights towards the low terrestrial orbit or certain small geostationary satellites). The Italy is the first implied nation and the role of the project superintendent returns with ELV S.p.A, joint venture of AVIO and the Italian Space agency (ASI).

According to the forecasts, the first flight of qualification will intervene in 2007. It will be followed launchings at intervals of 2 or 4 missions per annum.

Installations

Launching base profits from a surface of surroundings 700 km ². The services with ground include buildings of preparation of the launchers and satellites, the operations of launching themselves, as well as an production unit of Fuel solid.

Located at a Latitude of 5 degrees, for 460 km only in the north of the equator, the rotation of the Earth gets an additional speed of almost 500 m/s. Moreover, the operation of the satellites to place them in the Orbite wished is easier when launching is made close to the equator.

A “road of space” distributes the whole of the means of transport of the base. It also profits from a small railway line (1 km).

The “Jupiter center” is the control center which makes it possible to control the whole of the operations of preparation and launching. It is also used as room of communication with the media.

A museum of space is also present on the site, visited by several tens of thousands of people each year.

The safety around the Space center is ensured by the national police, helped by the Foreign legion and other army corps. A detachment of the Brigade of firemen of Paris occupies as for him interventions on the possible fires.

Procedure of launching of an ARIANE rocket

The components of the rockets are produced in Europe and are transferred to Kourou by boat. On their arrival, the “countryside begins from launching” which lasts approximately a month and half. It consists in assembling the elements of the launcher (stages, booster rockets, box with equipment) in the building of integration launcher (BIL), operation carried out by EADS Astrium. Then the launcher and the satellites of the customers are gathered in the building of final assembly (BAF) before transfer to J-1 on the launching base ARIANE (BLA).

The takeoff of the rocket is authorized if the whole of the elements are “nominal”. With H - 4mn 10 seconds it is a computer which manages the whole of the parameters in an automatic way (synchronized sequence). When the Moteur Vulcan 2 is started (fine Countdown H0), a 7 seconds deadline makes it possible to check the good performance of this one and it is only at this time that the booster rockets are launched and that the rocket really takes off.

The service safeguards , made up of a team of 4 people, controls the good progress of launching and is entitled to destroy the rocket in the event of unexpected event and in respect of the procedures envisaged.

External bonds

  • Guianese Space center
  • the European space port on the site Arianespace
  • on Wikimapia

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