The Soyuz launch pad near the French Guiana city of Sinnamary will operate in a manner that combines traditional Russian methods and techniques used for Arianespace’s now-defunct Ariane 4 launch system.
The traditional Soyuz horizontal-to-vertical erection system will be used, but the payload will be integrated after the launcher is vertical. The launch pad under construction will also differ from Soyuz facilities in Baikonur and Plesetsk by using an enclosed mobile gantry. This will house a crane similar to that used to lift the payload on to the Ariane 4.
“[The gantry] will be constructed in Russia and transported to French Guiana. It will be installed in early 2008. We have yet to finalise the industry contract, but this is our estimate,” says Jean-Pierre Haigneré, the European Space Agency’s head of the Soyuz in French Guiana project.
The gantry will sit 80m (260ft) from the launch pad. Upper and lower doors on either side of the gantry are opened for the rocket to pass through in the horizontal position. It will then be raised to the vertical position. The doors can then be closed to shield the launcher and workers from the weather.
The payload is integrated using the gantry’s crane. The gantry and rocket will be moved by internal power or special vehicle to the launch pad. At T-5h from launch, the gantry will be retracted to its original position, 80m away.
Source: Flight International