Transporting Space Equipment
Excluding the movement of personnel, Freight forwarding and Transport at CNES CSG can be broken down into 5 main categories:
- Routine activities and launch and satellite operations )
- Maintenance in the heavy goods vehicle (HGV) workshop ) managed by Endel
- International Operations Management (GOI) )
- Supplying the fleet of light vehicles )
- Central warehouse and mail handling managed by Peyrani
Routine activities and launch and satellite operations
The Permanent Technical Manager (RTP) for Freight Forwarding and Transport at Endel coordinates these five main activities. There are 54 Endel employees and 10 Peyrani employees working full-time on various operations.
Thirty percent of the Transport programme is devoted to routine CSG activities. The remaining 70% is shared equally between launch and satellite campaigns. This demanding work provides round the clock support for almost all the manufacturers on the Base. Endel also plays the role of technical advisor: working with CNES and Arianespace on investment plans for modernisation, but also on developing the transport programme for Soyuz and Vega.
Freight Forwarding and Transport handles all operations transport, from EAPs (solid propellant boosters) to round-trip transporting of EPCs (Main Cryogenic Stages), satellites and containers. Sometimes it includes assisting with operations handled by Regulus at the UPG (
Maintenance
Endel has been awarded ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification and has signed a quality charter, for which the workshop is the model: clean, with waste materials carefully sorted to better respect the environment.
The cleanliness of the buildings is even more impressive given the long list of vehicles being maintained: about 30 trucks of different types, 10 of which belong to the Paris Fire Brigade, HGVs (bucket trucks, cranes, platforms etc.), about 60 trailer trucks, MAN trucks that tow the launcher, fork lift loaders, goods-handling trucks and lifts, nautical equipment including 4 boats belonging to the Paris Fire Brigade*, various other fire fighting equipment and all tools. Fuelling stations need to be looked after too. Fuel must be brought to various sites on the Base, the fuel tanks must be maintained and also most of the vehicles. S5 may also be called upon for the equipment needed to check overhead travelling cranes.
The
Supplying the fleet of light motor vehicles (VL)
Endel manages a fleet of 155 vehicles, including service vehicles and the shared “mission specific” vehicles under current Industrial Contracts. These vehicles are guaranteed to be less than 4 years old, are provided by Endel and serviced by the VL workshop.
International Operations Management (GOI)
The GOI has a staff of 7. The senior manager is assisted by 4 RETTs (Freight Forwarding and Transport Managers) who have a wide range of skills. Each RETT is completely autonomous and during a campaign, liaises with the satellite customer and reports as Transport Deputy, directly to the Operations Director (DDO).. Likewise, an import/export manager handles the “conventional” operations: telemetry equipment, computer hardware, subscriptions etc. i.e. everything apart from satellites and special projects. A technical administrator is responsible for checking Customs records, sub-contractor and Customs invoices, as well as monitoring and clearing products that are in bonded warehouses.
The GOI staff generally handles all operations transport, on behalf of CNES CSG, for all shipments arriving in
In the course of their work, the GOI staff collaborate closely with the Safety Coordination Office, the safety personnel and teams at the Satellite Preparation Facility (EPCU), the scheduling and safety personnel at the Ariane Launch Complex (ELA), the Quality control personnel and the major transport users such as ESA, the Paris fire brigade and the Telemetry department To make the best use of available means in this maze of operations and operators, they must adapt quickly to a variety of situations for on-the-spot decisions.
Warehousing and mail handling
All small-scale handling of equipment, from office removals, to deliveries of supplies and equipment, including their formal acceptance and preparation, goes through the central warehouse. The 7 Peyrani employees have offices opposite Triton, the GOI building, , and work closely with the GOI staff. They provide logistical support by installing ramps and unpacking crates for satellite arrivals. Among their many functions, they cordon off observation sites and set up tables during launches.
Three Peyrani employees sort the incoming mail and deliver it in 2 daily rounds for CNES and one for Arianespace. They pick up outgoing mail as they go and also frank it.
Personnel transport
Personnel transport on the Base is covered by special contracts with 4 transport companies (Horth, Palmier, Sinaï, Prevot) as well as Peyrani. CNES/CSG handles the daily pick-ups of personnel on the Base, with 160 users per day using 6 buses (2 at Kourou, 3 at |
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