What is the Guiana Space Center?

The Guiana Space Center is a facility used by the European Space Agency and the French government to launch satellites into space. The center is located near Kourou in French Guiana. The French government began launching satellites there in 1964, and offered to share it with the European Space Agency when the latter was created in 1975.

Who is working at the Guiana Space Center?

Employees from Arianespace, the European launch company providing the rocket, are here too, and everyone is working alongside the local staff at the Guiana Space Center, the spaceport from which the observatory will lift off.

Does Guyane time change between summer time and winter time?

Guyane does not change between summer time and winter time. The IANA time zone identifier for Guyane is America/Cayenne. The current local time in Guyane is 38 minutes ahead of apparent solar time. Latitude: 4.00.

What is the oldest rock in French Guiana?

French Guiana's stable, crystalline basement rocks date back 2.2 billion years to the Paleoproterozoic Era, which also give this "overseas department" the claim to the oldest rocks in France. The spaceport has hosted more than 240 launches since 1990, mainly those employing Ariane, Soyuz, and Vega rockets.

How populated is French Guiana?

French Guiana is also only lightly populated, with about 90 percent of the country covered by forests rather than human habitations. It's in a zone that is not prone to earthquakes or hurricanes, and its launch angle of 102 degrees allow for several kinds of missions to launch to the east or the north.

Why is French Guiana a good place to live?

The site was also chosen for its low risk of cyclones and earthquakes. French Guiana's stable, crystalline basement rocks date back 2.2 billion years to the Paleoproterozoic Era, which also give this "overseas department" the claim to the oldest rocks in France.