Guiana Space Centre ELA-4

Mission Profile

Guiana Space Centre Ensemble de Lancement Ariane 6 (ELA-4) is the dedicated launch complex for Europe's Ariane 6 rocket at the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana, located at 5.3° North latitude. First used for Ariane 6's inaugural flight on 9 July 2024, ELA-4 features a mobile launch table that forms the interface between Ariane 6 and the fixed launch zone infrastructure, traveling from the rocket integration building to the pad on the AIT-250 autonomous transporter. The complex includes a fluid system for liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants, an active exhaust flame deflection system, and a launch control center connected to Ariane 6's onboard systems by a forest of umbilical connections. ELA-4 is designed for a target cadence of up to nine Ariane 6 launches per year.