🇫🇷Guiana Space Centre
Kourou, French Guiana, France
Country
🇫🇷 France
Region
Europe
Established
1968
Launches / Year
8-12
Coordinates
5.2361° N, 52.7689° W
About
The Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana, is Europe's primary spaceport and one of the most strategically located launch sites in the world. Its near-equatorial position at 5 degrees North provides a significant energy boost for geostationary launches, making it the departure point for all Ariane, Vega, and now Soyuz missions for ESA.
Key Features
Near-equatorial location (5.2 deg N) provides 17% payload bonus for GEO launches
Three launch complexes: ELA-3 (Ariane 5/6), ELA-1 (Vega-C), and ELS (formerly Soyuz)
Europe's only orbital launch site — critical strategic infrastructure
Launch corridors over Atlantic Ocean in both northern and eastern directions
Operated jointly by CNES (French space agency) and ESA
Rockets That Launch Here
Companies Operating Here
Orbit Types
Notable Launches
Ariane 1 (1979) — Europe's first successful orbital launch
Ariane 5 ECA (2002-2023) — Workhorse for GEO satellite deployment
James Webb Space Telescope (2021) — Launched on Ariane 5
Ariane 6 maiden flight (2024) — Europe's next-generation launcher
JUICE (2023) — Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer on Ariane 5