The Guiana Space Centre refers to the whole Space site within which have been built :
- the Technical Centre with the Jupiter Control Centre and Space Museum complex
- the Satellite preparation complexes (EPCU)
- the Ariane Launch complexes
- the Ariane 5 production and testing facilities
- the Ariane tracking, location and telemetry stations, including downrange stations
- the Diane satellite control stations (KRU 93 and KRU 98)
- other technical facilities at the Centre (for instance telecommunications facilities linking different installations, also varied logistical means).
The Guiana Space Centre, which is Europe’s Space Port, now refers to the whole Space site which includes all facilities and equipment used for Ariane launches and to be used for Soyuz and Vega launchers as well as the production plants.
CSG missions are part of Europe’s objectives for Space transportation, namely :
- to guarantee that Europe has independent access to Space in order to enable it to carry out sovereign missions. To meet that objective, France and other member countries of ESA have acknowledged the strategic importance of Europe having its own launch facilities and decided in 1973 to build them at the CSG ,which was already a CNES establishment at the time.
- to stake out a leading position in the world market for launch services and to maintain the prosperity and know-how of its Space industry. To meet this objective, a decision was taken in 1980 to create the Arianespace company, a commercial operator for the European Ariane launchers, which would be in charge of launch services.
The CSG is thus Europe’s Space Port. It is one of the most modern and best located launch bases in the world which can be used to launch Ariane using simplified manoeuvres for positioning satellites on any kind of orbit.
