Soyuz, Russian Rockets in French Guiana

Video from the channel Le Blob about Soyuz (cohete), linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 5:44. Language: French. Video type: Documentary.

Documentary report on the construction, in French Guiana, of the launch pad from which Arianespace was to launch the Soyuz starting in 2010. The launcher, identical to the one used by the Russian space agency, would join the company's range as a medium launcher for smaller satellites. It would sit between the heavy Ariane 5, capable of carrying satellites of around 10 tonnes, and the light Vega.

France chose Guiana for its base because of its closeness to the equator, and Europe has been launching Ariane rockets from there for almost thirty years. Arianespace already collaborated with Russia and launched Soyuz from Baikonur through the Starsem joint venture. The new site copies the one at Baikonur, and launches would be carried out in close cooperation with a Russian team.

The Soyuz works account for 35% of what was built for Ariane 5. In 2005-2006 the carneau was excavated, the pit that collects and diverts the exhaust gases over which the launcher sits. It was dug directly into a granite slab that almost reaches the surface. In 2006-2007 the buildings were erected and in 2008-2009 they were fitted out, ahead of around six months of qualification tests. Ariane 5 uses concrete deflectors and a water-spray system; here, as at Baikonur, the large volume of the pit avoids the acoustic reverberation that could damage the payload.

From the equator, the Earth's rotation gives more initial speed and the geostationary orbit is closer, so heavier satellites can be launched. Those interviewed highlight the reliability of a launcher family with nearly 1,800 launches. They also do not rule out crewed flights from Kourou if there were a political decision to that effect.