Galileo IOV satellites launch on 21 October 2011 was historic: it was the first Soyuz launch from a spaceport outside of Baikonur in Kazakhstan or Plesetsk in Russia. The site was Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
French Guiana is much closer to the equator, so each launch was benefit from Earth’s spin, increasing the maximum payload into geostationary transfer orbit from 1.7 tonnes to 3 tonnes. Read more…
Construction of the Soyuz site began in February 2007, although initial excavation and ground infrastructure work began in 2005 and 2006, respectively.
Russian staff arrived in French Guiana in mid-2008 to assemble the launch table, mobile gantry, fuelling systems and test benches.
The first two Soyuz launchers arrived from Russia by sea in November 2009 to be assembled in the new preparation and integration building. Read more…
Late last year, Galileo program managers laid out an ambitious schedule of launches, including two dual-satellite launches this year. They wanted 14 to 18 FOC (Full Operational Capability) spacecraft in place by the end of 2014. Target difficult to achieve assuming the missing of the planned september/october 2013 launch, postponed to december. Even this last milestone seems quite unlikely to meet.
The first FOC Galileo satellite is under test at the ESA’s European Space Research and Technology Center (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, The Netherlands, It has been acknowledged that the new-generation spacecraft’s launch will not occur until December 28, and even that date looks highly unlikely. Read more…
The Baikonur Cosmodrome was the first space launch facility to be built (1955) and it is the largest in the world. Located in the desert of Kazakhstan, 90 meters above sea level, it was originally built by the Soviet Union for their space programs. Currently it holds numerous commercial, military and scientific missions. Read more…