Independent #space access is crucial for Europe's strategic interests, economic competitiveness, and scientific leadership.
There's a buzz in the air as Europe's Ariane-6 rocket finally gears up for its maiden launch! 🚀
Let's take a look at the launch site, the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. This French overseas territory is conveniently located in South America.
The Guiana Space Centre has been in operation since 1968, it is a suitable location for a #spaceport because of its near-equatorial location and open sea to the east.
The centre's land itself is managed by CNES, the French National Space Agency. The launch infrastructure built on the Guiana Space Centre's land is owned by the European Space Agency.
Private company Arianespace operates the launches including planning missions, handling customer relationships and overseeing the team that integrates and prepares vehicles for launch.
In 1964, Guiana was selected to become the spaceport of France, replacing France's first launch site Centre interarmées d'essais d'engins spéciaux in Hammaguir, Algeria.
In 1975, France offered to share Kourou with ESA, with ESA covering two-thirds of the Guiana Space Centre's budget. Commercial launches are also bought by non-European companies. ESA pays two-thirds of the spaceport's annual budget and has also financed the upgrades made during the development of the Ariane launchers.
The location of the space centre was selected based on various factors.
One of the primary benefits of this spaceport is its proximity to the equator, which makes it more efficient, requiring substantially less energy, to launch spacecraft into a near-equatorial, geostationary orbit compared to launching from spaceports at higher latitudes.
Additionally, the centre's location adjacent to the open sea to the east reduces the potential risk of rocket stages and debris from launch failures falling on or near human settlements, which enhances safety during spaceflight activities. Furthermore, rockets typically launch towards the east to take advantage of Earth's rotation and the angular momentum it provides.
The near-equatorial location of the Guiana Space Centre offers an advantage for launches to low-inclination or geostationary Earth orbits, as rockets can be launched into orbits with an inclination of as low as 6°.
Independent space access is crucial for Europe's strategic interests, economic competitiveness, and scientific leadership.
Ad Astra!
Links in the comments to watch the launch live 🚀
Tune in 👇
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