3, 2, 1… Lift-off!
On July 9th, the European Space Agency's Ariane 6 rocket launched from Kourou in French Guiana on its mission to place mini-satellites into orbit. Among those working on the project, the Equans Belux teams were present on the ground to celebrate the success of this inaugural flight, which marked the return of Europe's autonomous access to space.
As a long-standing partner of the National Center for Space Studies (CNES), Equans Belux was responsible for the ventilation, air conditioning, and cooling of the entire Ariane 6 launch complex: launch zones, buildings for the preparation of various parts of the launcher (manufacturing, integration, assembly), and propellant production plants.
Equans installed a chilled water production system in the Ariane 6 launch area, comprising three refrigeration units with a capacity of 1 MW each, requiring the installation of a 10 km underground pipeline network. Our teams also worked on all the air conditioning installations located in the launcher assembly building and on the assembly of the aeraulic and hydraulic networks of the block located in the launch area, in addition to installing air conditioning in about ten buildings.
With 25 years of experience in the aerospace sector, mainly at the Guiana Space Center, Equans Belux also brings its expertise in sensitive environments to the construction of clean rooms necessary for satellite preparation. In addition to studies, construction, and equipment installation, our teams provide preventive and operational maintenance of infrastructures. In Kourou, they are notably responsible for the maintenance and operation services of the launch zones for the Vega, Ariane 5, and for the past four years, Ariane 6 rockets, as well as the propellant production plant and other sensitive sites of the Guiana Space Center.