16.10.2013
Day 971
107,140 km since the beginning of the journey, Route: Aouara - Kourou (217 km).
From Wikipedia : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guiana_Space_Centre
The Guiana Space Centre or, more commonly, Centre spatial guyanais (CSG) is a French and European spaceport near Kourou in French Guiana. Operational since 1968, it is particularly suitable as a location for a spaceport as it fulfills the two major geographical requirements of such a site: it is quite close to the equator, so that the spinning earth can impart some extra velocity to the rockets for free when launched eastward, and it has uninhabited territory (in this case, open sea) to the east, so that lower stages of rockets and debris from launch failures cannot fall on human habitations.
The European Space Agency, the French space agency CNES, and the commercial Arianespace company conduct launches from Kourou. This is the spaceport used by the ESA to send supplies to the International Space Station using the Automated Transfer Vehicle.
Already having reached the city there was seen a huge "thing" being transported slowly through the streets.
There is a museum at the entrance of the Space Center, and in front of the museum two rows of flags of the states and among the others, the Blue-Black-And-White flag of Estonia.
The bus was full of people, the guide gave a long presentation in French, and the route went through several security gates to the Space Center.
The first impression was that all the distances between the buildings here are in several kilometers long.
The launching place of Soyuz. In short, we can say that inside of this concrete bowl at the moment of take off it turns very hot.
The launching site. It was not allowed to move further from the bus.
Ariane control center.
Back to the bus, and then see the launching site of Vega
Relatively a rare opportunity to see how a blue truck is slowly transporting a high start-tower (I guess it is more or less the correct name ?)
And the newer command center together with the press center, there is room for both - TV channels and for the usual visitors.
Panorama.
The stand of stickers.
The Excursion lasted over three hours.
And two more hours were spent in the museum.
The control centre made of LEGO-s
The engine of the rocket.
And a variety of short films were shown at the cinema, including the launching of ESTCUBE.
Continued ...
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