soyuz.qxd 21-03-2007 14:56 pagina 2 br-243 · soyuz.qxd 21-03-2007 14:56 pagina 2. in 2008 a...

BR-243June 2005

Soyuzat the

Guiana Space Centre

Soyuz.qxd 21-03-2007 14:56 Pagina 2

In 2008 a Russian-built Soyuz launcher will take off from Europe’sspaceport in French Guiana. This historic event will be the first time thata Soyuz launcher has lifted off from anywhere other than Baikonur orPlesetsk, and represents a milestone in the strategic cooperation in thelaunch sector between Europe and Russia.

The introduction of Russia’s Soyuz 2 launcher to French Guiana is anexciting new opportunity for ESA and it means that however diversefuture launch requirements are, Europe will be able to offer a solution inthe form of either Ariane-5, Soyuz or Vega.

The agreement between Europe and Russia on commercial launchesof the updated Soyuz 2 carrier rockets from Europe’s Spaceport in FrenchGuiana was signed in the summer of 2003 and will benefit both sides.

Russia’s space programme will receive additional income through thelaunch of satellites and spacecraft from one of the world’s mostattractive and best-placed space centres.

ESA, meanwhile, will benefit from the availability of a dependableand well-proven medium-class launch vehicle, known and respectedthroughout the world.

Later, it also introduces the possibility of launching crewed missionsfrom Europe’s spaceport, a move which could have tremendoussignificance further raising the profile of Europe in this field.

Contents

A dynamic new phase

Strategy

Launch site

Launch vehicles

Launch market

Construction costs

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Antonio FabriziESA Director of Launchers


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A dynamic new phase of development has begunat the European spaceport in French Guiana thatwill lead to the launch of Soyuz rockets from theequatorial launch base in South America.

The European Space Agency (ESA), Arianespaceand the Russian Federal Space Agency(Roskosmos), have embarked on a bold newproject to construct and develop new launchfacilities for Soyuz.

Known as the Soyuz at CSG (Soyuz at the GuianaSpace Centre) programme, strongly supported bythe French Space Agency (CNES), it will bring anew perspective to the European launcher sectorand consolidate European access to space formedium-sized spacecraft.

The Russian Soyuz will fit neatly between theESA-developed launchers – Ariane-5 and Vega –and Europe’s international commercial launchcompany Arianespace will have exclusive rightsfor the commercial exploitation of Soyuz fromFrench Guiana.

As well as strengthening Europe’s long-termcooperation in the launch sector with Russia,Soyuz will bring the exciting future potential forupgrading the new launch facility to allowcrewed launches to the International SpaceStation.

Europe benefits from the best-placed and mostefficient launch base in the world, near Kourou,in French Guiana, South America. The launchsites extend along a 15 km stretch of coast –launch towers, assembly buildings andtelemetry dishes bordered on one side bythe Atlantic and on the other by thenorthern reaches of tropical rain forest.

The first launch facilities at Kourou weredeveloped by ESA and CNES in the 1970s.The launch site for Ariane-5 wasinaugurated in 1996 and is operated byArianespace for launching spacecraft intogeostationary, synchronous and mediumand low-Earth orbits.

A dynamic new phase


ArianespaceArianespace is a global commercial launch services leader,holding more than 50 percent of the world market forsatellites to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). It wascreated as the first commercial space transportationcompany in 1980 and has signed contracts for over 250satellite payloads. Arianespace is responsible for theproduction, operation and marketing of the Ariane-5launchers, and is a partner in the commercial operations ofStarsem’s Soyuz launch vehicle.

StarsemStarsem is the Soyuz company dedicated to providingcommercial launch services with the reliable and provenSoyuz family of launch vehicles from Baikonur. Created in1996, the Russian-European company brings together allkey players involved in the production and operation ofSoyuz and is responsible for international sales of theworld’s most versatile launch vehicle.

ESA’s launcher strategy is founded on the principle ofoffering the nations of Europe guaranteed access tospace – by implication meaning that Europe shouldendeavour to launch by its own means any categoryof mission.

It is now more than two decades since ESA first sentan Ariane launcher – designed, developed andmanufactured by ESA and its prime partners in CNESand European industry – into space from FrenchGuiana.

Strategy

Ariane-5 is currently meeting the requirement forlarger satellites, and Vega will complement this fromthe end of 2007 onwards for smaller spacecraftrequiring launch performances at the lower end ofthe mass spectrum. The middle ground betweenAriane-5 and Vega will be filled neatly andeconomically by Soyuz.

Arianespace will be the commercial operator andalthough Soyuz cannot be considered a genuineEuropean launcher, the exclusivity agreementsbetween Arianespace/Starsem and Roskosmos, andthe Launcher Agreement between ESA andRoskosmos provide adequate guarantees for it to beconsidered within the efficient implementation ofthe European Guaranteed Access to Space (EGAS)programme.

From a European perspective, closer cooperationwith Russia will bring significant other benefits too,such as cheaper access to new technologies, areduction in the development and production costsof new launcher systems, as well as opening the doorto other possible commercial partnerships in thefuture.

Soyuz at the Guiana Space Centre represents ashrewd and prudent strategy for Europe – for alimited cost, it will add a new and very significantdimension to Europe’s launch capabilities.


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Human spaceflightThe Soyuz launcher is currently one of the fewsystems in the world capable of transporting humansinto space so, in designing the Soyuz launch facilitiesin French Guiana, it makes sense to take into accountthis potential for the future.

The new launch infrastructure has therefore beendesigned to ensure that it can be adapted for humanspaceflight, should this be decided upon at somepoint in the future.

TransportationBefore blasting its payload into orbit, the Soyuzlauncher will have to complete the journey fromRussia to French Guiana by both rail and sea.

The first part will carry various launcher elementsfrom Samara on the banks of the Volga river inRussia, where the launcher is built, on a three-dayrail journey to St Petersburg, where they will betransferred to ship for a 15 day ocean voyage to theport of Kourou on the South American continent.


Launch site

The Kourou Space Centre offers numerousadvantages in the context of projected Soyuzlaunches. Its proximity to the equator means ittakes more or less the same thrust-to-weightratio (i.e. the same sized rocket) to put a 3.0-3.2 tonne payload into orbit from Kourou as a1.5-2.0 tonne payload from Baikonur in Russia.The advantages are obvious.

A major construction project for a new launchpad and support facilities started in early 2004following geotectonic surveys the previousyear. European industry is responsible for theground infrastructure and Russian industry isproviding the launch table, the mobile gantry,fixed and mobile filling systems, test benchesand other equipment.

The Soyuz launch site is being constructedsome 13 km north west of the Ariane-5 launchcomplex. It comprises two main areas – theforward zone, containing the launch pad, andthe rear zone that will include the spacecraftpreparation building.

launch constructionThe entrenched reinforced concrete constructionincorporates an approximately 15 metre diameteropening over the two upper levels to accommodate thelaunch table. It includes both the Russian and Europeanfacilities necessary for launch operations.

mobile gantryThe metallic mobile gantry protects the launcheragainst external climatic conditions and gives access toall stages of the launcher, including the uppercomposite, for all operations relating to integrationand control. Prior to the final launch sequence themobile gantry will be moved on rails to a stand-byposition.

flame trenchCut out of the granite below, this enables theevacuation of the launcher’s jet stream on lift-off andthe collection/removal of any water sprayed onto thelaunch pad.

launcher preparation zone (ZP)This comprises a main building (MIK) for the horizontalintegration of a Soyuz launcher, its control facilities, off-loading of the stage containers, handling, control, andstorage of the launcher stages and Fregat upper stage.

launch control centre (CDL)It houses the ground service equipment andcontrol/command facilities, enabling remote operationand monitoring of the system during launch. For safetyreasons this is located away from the launch pad.

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The two zones are separated by a distance ofapproximately 700 metres and a rail trackbetween the two will enable the Soyuz threestage launcher to be transferred in ahorizontal position to the launch pad, whereit will be erected into its vertical launchposition. The upper composite will then betransferred to the pad and hoisted onto thetop of the launcher.

The launch pad is based on an existing Russiandesign already used at Baikonur and adaptedto conform with European safety regulations.

A 45 metre high launch tower, includingplatforms for access at different levels, isbeing constructed for placing the upperpayload unit on the launcher and this wouldbe extendable to 53 metres for mannedspacecraft. The pad itself will be protected by80 metre-high lightning rods.

A new launch control centre will house theequipment and personnel necessary for launchoperations. The building will be large enoughfor the expected workforce of 80 to 100 peoplerequired to launch the Soyuz with Fregat stageand, with safety in mind, will be designed towithstand the impact of a three tonne objectfalling from a height of 40 metres.

Launch systems integration and testing will becarried out by combined European andRussian teams.

ancillary areasThe launcher propellant storage and decanting zonesare spread out over the launch site area at a safedistance from the pad. Special zones are reserved forkerosene, hydrogen peroxide, liquid oxygen andnitrogen, and compressed gases.

In addition, there are a number of buildings forground service equipment located in the preparationzone about 200 metres from the launch pad. Theseprovide shelter for the ground service equipment andassociated facilities, including nitrogen and heliumcompressors, launcher battery chargers, airconditioning and power production.

Payload preparation complex(EPCU)Complementing original facilities of CNES and laterones from the Ariane development programmes, ESAhas constructed a complex for preparing satellites,located halfway between the Technical Centre andlaunch sites.

These buildings provide for satellite and controlequipment packing, mechanical assembly work,electrical and mechanical inspections, and check-outof the various platform and payload sub-systems.

The S3 building will be used to fill the Fregat upperstage and complete upper composite assembly underthe fairing.

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VegaAlthough there is a growing tendency for satellites tobecome larger, there is still a need for an economical smalllauncher to place the 300 to 2000 kg satellites used formany scientific and Earth-observation missions into polarand low-Earth orbits.

Europe’s answer to these needs is Vega – named after thesecond brightest star in the northern hemisphere – which,unlike most small launchers, will be able to place multiplepayloads into orbit.

Development costs have been minimised using advancedlow-cost technologies and by optimising the synergy withexisting production facilities used for Ariane launchers.

Vega has been designed as a single body launcher. Itsdevelopment started in 1998 and the first launch is plannedfor the end of 2007 from French Guiana, where the originalAriane-1 launch facilities have been adapted for its use.

The reference mission for Vega is the launch of a 1500 kgspacecraft into a 700 km polar orbit. But Vega will also beable to lift heavier spacecraft into lower orbits or orbitscloser to the equator.

The Vega launcher configuration comprises three solid-propellant stages – the P80 first stage, the Zefiro 23 secondstage, the Zefiro 9 third stage, plus an upper liquidpropulsion module, called AVUM, for attitude and orbitcontrol and satellite release. The Vega upper compositeincludes the payload adapter and the fairing.

Ariane-5Ariane-5 – conceived by ESA to ensure Europe maintainedits competitive edge in the global launch market – made itsfirst successful launch on 30 October 1997.

Its first operational flight took place two years later inDecember 1999 when it launched ESA’s X-ray Multi-Mirror(XMM) satellite. Since then it has been used to launchsatellites for commercial communications, Earth observationand scientific research.

Ariane-5 is used for launches into geostationary orbit,medium and low-Earth orbits, and Sun-synchronous orbits.The launch site also includes facilities to integrate the solidboosters and produce the solid propellant they use.

The workhorse Ariane-5 is currently available in threeconfigurations for service to low-Earth, geostationary-transfer and Earth-escape orbits. ESA is also considering amore powerful upper stage and has evaluated alternativeconfigurations to create a super-heavy-launch version ofAriane-5 version.

Launch vehicles


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Soyuz 2 and Soyuz STThe Soyuz launcher in various configurations hasbeen the workhorse of Russia’s manned andunmanned programme since the 1960s and morethan 1700 Soyuz rockets have been launched inits various guises.

Soyuz 2 is the latest evolution of the renownedfamily of Russian launchers that started the spacerace almost 50 years ago with the launch ofSputnik in 1957 and later put the first man – YuriGagarin – into space.

Soyuz is a medium-class launcher and itsperformance will perfectly complement that ofthe ESA launchers, Ariane and Vega. It willenhance the competitiveness and flexibility ofthe exploitation of the Ariane launcher on thecommercial market. At the same time Russia will have access to what experts consider to bethe best location from which to launchtelecommunication satellites – close to theequator.

It will have improved performance due to thegeographic location and be able to place upto 3.2 tonnes into geostationary transferorbit, as opposed to the 2.0 tonnes that canbe launched from Baikonur in Kazakhstan.

The Soyuz 2 features two major upgrades.The Soyuz 2-1a with a modern digitalcontrol system increases atmospheric flight

control capability and allows large fairingutilisation, providing additional volume to thepayload and greater mission flexibility. The Soyuz2-1b will add an upgraded third stage engine tothe digital control system, increasing thelauncher’s load carrying capability by 15 percent.

The Soyuz 2-1a successfully lifted off from thePlesetsk cosmodrome in Russia on 8 November2004. It was a major step forward prior to thelauncher’s entry into commercial operation andits arrival in Kourou.

The next step will be the introduction of the STfairing into flight with Soyuz 2-1a in early 2006from Baikonur. This will define the Soyuz-STconfiguration also applicable for French Guiana.

The market entry of the Soyuz 2-1b will be withthe launch from Baikonur in 2006 of the COROTscience satellite developed by CNES to seek outexo-planets and probe the inner workings ofstars.

This second commercial launch will complete theRussian demonstration of improved capabilitiesfor the Soyuz ST launch vehicle, anticipating afirst launch from French Guiana in 2008.

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ESA’s Ariane launcher has become one of the biggestcommercial success stories in the history of space. Itbegan in 1973 after the nations of Europe realised thatindependent access to orbit and the development of apioneering space programme go hand-in-hand.

Soon the Arianespace-operated launcher family – basedon Ariane-5, Soyuz and Vega – will be able to launchany size of spacecraft at competitive prices and coverthe entire range of potential spacecraft sizes, from500 kg to 20 tonnes and more in low Earth orbits, up to10 tonnes in geostationary orbit.

The capacities of the three launchers will be fullycomplementary for low-Earth-orbit applications as theirmarket sectors will not cross.

It is anticipated that the demand for non-commercialmissions – such as a Galileo demonstration spacecraft orVenus Express – should give a yearly launch rate of oneor two missions for Soyuz from either Baikonur orFrench Guiana.

Commercially, Arianespace forecasts that the additionof Soyuz in French Guiana could help it capture at leasttwo thirds of the market for spacecraft of less thanthree tonnes, compared to an expected maximum 50percent market share with Ariane 5 alone.

Launch market

Ariane-5 G Ariane-5 ECA Ariane-5 ES Soyuz VEGA

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Construction costs

The total cost to Europe for the Soyuz launch systeminstallation in French Guiana is estimated to be C 344million (2003 economic conditions). This cost is splitbetween the ESA Participating States, providing C 223 million, and Arianespace, contributing C 121 million.

The cost covers:

■ Ground segment infrastructure development inFrench Guiana by European companies

■ Soyuz launcher adaptation to CNES/CSGregulations

■ Development, manufacture and transport ofRussian equipment

■ Industrial management and ESA internal costs.

Initial finance will be provided by a pool of investorsmanaged by ESA as a third-party activity. Once thefacility has been built and operationally qualified,Arianespace will commence exploitation within theframework of a ten-year rental contract.

ESA Member State contributions

Acronyms

CDL Launch centreCentre De Lancement

CNES French National Space AgencyCentre National d’Etudes Spatiales

ELS Soyuz launch siteEnsemble de Lancement Soyuz

EPCU Payload preparation complexEnsemble de Préparation des Charges Utiles

MIK Main building for horizontal integrationBâtiment d’intégration lanceur

ZL Launch zoneZone de Lancement

ZP Preparation zoneZone de Préparation

ZTO Orchidée technical zoneZone Technique Orchidée

Text: Clive Simpson

Contribution: Jean-Pierre Haigneré

Coordination: Franco Bonacina, Anne-Marie Rémondin

Images and photos: David Ducros, Stéphane Corvaja

Design: SimComm Europe

Published by: ESA Publications Division

ESTEC, PO Box 299, 2200 AG Noordwijk, The Netherlands

Editor: Bruce Battrick

Copyright: European Space Agency 2005

ISSN No: 0250-1589

ISBN No: 90-9092-483-7

Printed in the Netherlands

Soyuz.qxd 21-03-2007 14:56 Pagina 12

Contact: Media Relations Division8-10 rue Mario Nikis, F-75738 Paris Cedex 15, FranceTel. +33 (0) 1 5369 7155. Fax +33 (0) 1 5369 7690e-mail: [email protected] Website: www.esa.int


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