Guided tour
By bus.
Bill Ingalls — Public domain · European Space Agency — CC BY-SA 3.0 igo · European Space Agency — CC BY-SA 3.0 igo · NASA's James Webb Space Telescope from Greenbelt, MD, USA — CC BY 2.0
The Guiana Space Centre, known as «Europe's Spaceport», is a rocket launch base north-west of Kourou in French Guiana, about 4 km in a straight line from the town centre. It lies only about 500 km north of the equator. It has operated since 1968, chosen for its closeness to the equator, which gives rockets an extra boost from the Earth's spin, and for the open sea to the east and north. The French space agency manages the land, the European Space Agency owns the launch facilities, and today Ariane 6 and Vega C rockets lift off from here. Many famous satellites and probes have launched from here, including the James Webb Space Telescope in December 2021. The centre welcomes visitors on guided bus tours of the site, and it has a space museum on the history of rockets and satellites. Tours must be booked ahead, so bring ID, and the space museum charges entry. Launches can be watched from viewing sites around Kourou, so follow the launch schedule if you want to see one.
By bus.
Ariane and Vega.
Rocket history.
Kourou, French Guiana
Yes, on guided tours booked in advance.
Yes, from viewing sites around Kourou.