This new consignment arrived aboard the Flinterland sea-going vessel, which docked at the Port of Degrad-des-Cannes near the French Guiana capital city of Cayenne on January 8th. The unloading of its 125 containers and boxes was completed yesterday, with the hardware and material transferred by road to the Spaceport. This is the second major delivery of material transported aboard the Flinterland from St. Petersburg, Russia, and it contained a significant portion the remaining Russian-built ground systems required for the Soyuz launch site’s completion.
Included in this shipment are the support booms that sustain an erected Soyuz vehicle for launch. These booms help stabilize Soyuz in its suspended position when installed over the launch pad. As the vehicle lifts off, the support booms track the launcher’s initial movement, then swivel away as Soyuz begins its ascent. Also arriving were the mobile delivery systems for the Soyuz propellant load’s hydrogen peroxide component. Additional cargo loads will be carried on upcoming voyages, including the MN Colibri and MN Toucan sea-going vessels that are regularly operated on behalf of Arianespace for its shipment of Ariane launchers from Europe to French Guiana. The two upcoming voyages include the Soyuz launch site’s massive cryogenic propellant storage reservoirs, propellant feed systems for the Fregat upper stage, along with the initial two Soyuz launch vehicles.
(Photo, courtesy of Arianespace, shows one of the support booms for Soyuz being unloaded from the Flinterland after its arrival in French Guiana.)