Soyuz launch site

The Soyuz launch site at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, is located 13 km northwest of the Ariane 5 launch complex. It comprises two main areas: the forward zone, with the launch pad, and the rear zone that includes the launcher preparation building.

The two zones are linked by a 600 m-long railway. The launch site is almost identical to the other Soyuz facilities in Kazakhstan and Russia, and has been adapted to conform to European safety regulations. The most visible difference is a mobile gantry, which allows payloads to be installed on the launcher vertically.