Europe's Spaceport

Europe's gateway to space is situated in French Guiana, in the northeast of South America. In 1964, the French Government chose Kourou as their preferred site from where they would launch satellites into space. When ESA came into being in 1975, the French Government shared its Centre Spatial Guyanais with ESA, with the Agency funding upgrades to the facilities in preparation for the Ariane rocket series.

Since then, ESA has continued to fund two-thirds of the spaceport's annual budget as well as new facilities, now focusing on the newest rockets Ariane 6 and Vega-C.

Facing the ocean, a large range of launch trajectories can be chosen from the east to the north without risk to the local population, and with no risk of cyclones or earthquakes the site is safe and protected.

Work is currently underway to modernise the site, preparing it for the future and reducing as much as possible its impact on the local environment and our changing climate.