Kourou 5° North

Kourou 5° North

The Guiana Space Centre, from where the Ariane, Vega and Soyuz rockets blast off into space, is located at Kourou, at a latitude of 5° North, in the heart of the Amazon Basin. It was from here that the first French probe rocket, Véronique, rose into the tropical sky.

Fifty years later, the Kourou base is naturally thought of as Europe's Spaceport and is preparing to accommodate Vega-C and the sixth and most recent generation of the famous Ariane launchers. This exceptional site has witnessed the entire history of France and Europe's conquest of space, with all their tremendous technological and commercial successes. For the Guiana Space Centre serves as the launch base for observation, scientific and communication satellites for customers from around the world, making Europe the global leader for commercial launches.

This book by the journalist Karol Barthelemy invites us on an unprecedented tour of this unique site, giving us a glimpse of what goes on backstage, from the construction of launchers through to lift-off. It recounts the beginnings and particularities of this great and ambitious project, originally initiated by France but now sustained by Europe and the continuous involvement of the leading players in the space sector (CNES, ESA, Arianespace) with support from government and the local authorities in French Guiana, which raises issues on how best to integrate such a facility in the local economic and social fabric. By its location in French Guiana, the Kourou base provides Europe with independent access to space, an indispensable asset for success in this highly strategic and rapidly evolving sector.