Guiana Space Centre, Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
The Guiana Space Centre is a rocket launch complex along the Atlantic coast of French Guiana in Kourou, with launch pads, control buildings and satellite assembly halls. The facilities spread across a large area surrounded by rainforest and coastal landscape.
France chose this location after Algerian independence and began building launch facilities in 1965 for its own space programs. Later, the site also became the departure point for European missions and carrier rockets of different sizes.
The site takes its name from the coastal region of Guiana and brings together European aerospace engineering in a tropical Atlantic setting. Visitors walking through the museum can see actual rockets and satellites from different decades and learn how multiple nations cooperate here.
Guided tours offer access to parts of the complex and show how rockets are prepared and launched. Visits require advance registration, and access may be restricted when launches are scheduled.
The location near the equator allows Earth's rotation to give rockets extra momentum and reduce fuel needs. Members of the Foreign Legion patrol the perimeter and protect the facilities from unauthorized access.
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