ELA-4

Ensemble de Lancement Ariane 4
Ariane Launch Complex 4
ELA-4 in 2023, holding a testing mockup of an Ariane 6
Launch siteGuiana Space Centre
Location5°15′54″N 52°47′31″W / 5.265°N 52.792°W / 5.265; -52.792
Time zoneUTC−03 (GFT)
Short nameELA-4
EstablishedSeptember 2021
OperatorArianespace · ESA
Launch pad(s)1
Launch history
StatusActive
Launches3
First launch9 July 2024
Ariane 62 (VA262)
Last launch13 August 2025
Ariane 62 (MetOp-SG-A1)
Associated
rockets		Current: Ariane 6
Launch Sites at the Guiana Space Centre
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4km
2.5miles
7
7 ELS
7 ELS
6
6 ELA-4
6 ELA-4
5
5 ELA-3
5 ELA-3
4
4 ELA-2
4 ELA-2
3
3 ELV
3 ELV
2
1

  Active pads
  Inactive tenanted pads
  Inactive untenanted pads
1
ELFS
2
ELM
3
ELV
4
ELA-2
5
ELA-3
6

7
ELS

ELA-4 (French: Ensemble de Lancement Ariane 4, lit. 'Ariane Launch Complex 4') is a launch complex at the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana supporting launches of the Ariane 6 program. ELA-4 is located along the Route de l'Espace in the Roche Christine site, between the ELA-3 and ELS launch facilities. The complex is composed of a launch pad with mobile gantry, an horizontal assembly building and a dedicated launch operations building.

History

CNES was responsible for the construction of the Ariane 6 ground segments including the new launch pad. Earthworks on the 170-hectare (420-acre) launch site began at the end of June 2015 and was completed at the start of 2016. Four platforms were levelled to accommodate the launch pad, the liquid oxygen and hydrogen tanks and the assembly building. Civil engineering works on the flame trench and other buildings began in the summer of 2016 and ended in 2019.[1][2] The launch facility was inaugurated on 28 September 2021 in presence of most of the 600 workers employed at the site, 75% of which recruited locally.[3]

Launch statistics

2
2024
2025
No. Date Time (UTC) Launch vehicle Configuration Payload Result Remarks
1 9 July 2024 19:00 Ariane 6 Ariane 62 Block 1 Multiple rideshares Partial failure Maiden flight of Ariane 6 and first launch from ELA-4. Launch was successful but deorbit burn failed, jeopardizing two reentry payloads.
2 6 March 2025 16:24 Ariane 6 Ariane 62 Block 1 CSO-3 Success First commercial Ariane 6 flight and first completely successful Ariane 6 flight.
3 13 August 2025 00:37 Ariane 6 Ariane 62 Block 1 MetOp-SG-A1 Success Part of the MetOp-SG series of weather satellites.
  • Earthworks for the flame trench in August 2017
    Earthworks for the flame trench in August 2017
  • Horizontal assembly building construction in 2017
    Horizontal assembly building construction in 2017
  • Closeup view of the pad's flame diverters in 2019
    Closeup view of the pad's flame diverters in 2019
Panoramic view of ELA-4 construction in 2017

See also

References

  1. ^ "The Ariane 6 system: On board-ground interfaces and launch facility" (PDF) (in French). CNES. 4 November 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 November 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Ariane 6". ESA. 5 November 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  3. ^ "ELA-4 launch complex inaugurated at Guiana Space Centre". CNES. 28 September 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
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