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Behind the scenes with Ariane 6 in French Guiana
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From factory to launch pad
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While Ariane 6 is designed and built in Europe, it is at the European Space Center in Kourou (French Guiana) that the final procedures take place prior to launch: production of boosters, assembly of central body and final assembly of the launcher.
When it arrives from Europe, pieces of the launcher are transported to in the Ariane 6 launch zone (ELA4), the launcher’s two cryogenic modules are assembled to constitute the central body of the rocket. This is then taken to the mobile gantry, a huge metal structure specially designed for Ariane 6, where it is placed in the vertical position. It is also here that the boosters are assembled and final checks carried out. Finally, the gantry is retracted a few hours before launch.