Ariane-5 ELA-3 complex

Kourou's ELA-3 complex was built to process and launch the Ariane-5 vehicle. In the foreground is the Centre de Lancement #3 (CDL-3, used for controlling launches. Two identical central rooms are housed in the building's two wings. At right background is the Batiment d'Assemblage Final (BAF), where the Ariane-5 stacking is completed before roll-out to the pad. In the centre is the Batiment d'Integration Lanceur (BIL), where the vehicle's 'lower composite' (below the level of the payload fairing) is stacked on the mobile platform. [Image Date: 1997/10] [98.05.010-010]