Visit of the ELS

The Soyuz launch complex called ELS (for Ensemble de Lancement Soyuz) is one of the three active commercial launch pads at CSG together with the Vega launch pad and the ELA-3 (Ensemble de Lancement Ariane #3).  ELS was visited by the MSG teams on Monday 30/04/12.
The Soyuz rocket (family) is deeply related to the early age of the Soviet space adventure which started in the sixties. This is to date the most used launch vehicle in the world. Soyuz rockets are launched from Baikonur (Kazakhstan/Russia), Plesetsk (Russia) and, since 21 October 2011, from CSG ELS in Kourou French Guiana. The payload was then a pair of Galileo satellites. The main difference with a Soyuz rocket operated in Russia is that, at the CSG ELS, the payload is integrated vertically on the rocket whilst in Russia, the rocket and payload are assembled horizontally and then erected once on the launch pad. This difference may give a chance for MSG-4 to be launched on a Soyuz rocket in 2015. On the top of that, energy wise, the CSG quasi equatorial location benefits a lot for Soyuz GEO (geostationary) launches compared to the other Russian cosmodromes.

General view on the Soyuz launch pad.

Close up view on the arms supporting the Soyuz rocket.














View from top to bottom.

Bottom up view.

View on breeching (carneau).