Where is French Guiana? Can I visit European Space Agency spaceport in Kourou

A European space mission from French Guiana to Jupiter is scheduled to take place on Friday 14 April and it aims to uncover more information about our solar system.

The JUICE mission, which stands for Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, has been planned for over a decade and it is Europe’s first ever mission to Jupiter.

The event marks an historic moment in the history of mankind and the free to view live stream is expected to attract widespread attention from scientists and space enthusiasts from around the world.

Many people are intrigued by the launch but where is French Guiana situated and can the public visit the space station? Here is everything you need to know.

Where is French Guiana?

French Guiana is an overseas department of France which is located on the northern coast of South America in the Guianas region. It is bordered by the Republic of Suriname to the west and Brazil to the east and south.

French Guiana covers a land area of 83,846 sq km and it has a population of around 294,400. The majority of its inhabitants live in the metropolitan capital area of Cayenne.

History

France occupied the territory in the 17th Century and the Dutch and Spanish have also settled in the area.

France historically used the area to exile convicts. The penal colony of Cayenne was commonly known as Devil’s Island and the prison system in the area was known for its high mortality rate.

The penal colonies were formally closed in 1951 for the final time and they operated for nearly a century.

When did the space centre open?

The Guiana space centre opened in the north west area of Kourou in 1968. The area was chosen for rocket launches as it is situated just 310 miles north of the equator and it is close to the open sea to the east.

According to ESA, launchers benefit from the “slingshot” effect that is the energy created by the Earth’s rotation around the axis of the poles, which in turn increases the speed of a launcher by 460 m per second.

The area was also chosen as it is scarcely populated and 90% of the territory is covered by equatorial forests. French Guiana also has no risk of cyclones or earthquakes.

Can people visit French Guiana?

According to the BBC a lack of infrastructure within French Guiana has severely hindered the levels of tourism and much of the sparsely-inhabited interior is accessible only by river.

However, it is still possible to visit French Guiana and there are a number of tourist attractions including the area’s beaches and the space centre.

Wandering our World explains that the Space Centre is free to visit upon arrival in French Guiana but visitors must book a tour at least two days in advance.

The tour lasts around three hours and it has been rated as one of the number one things to do in the area, according to Trip Advisor.