South American Rocket Launch Propels Europe to Greater Independence
On November 17, a rocket launch in French Guiana carried four satellites into orbit that will make up part of the European Union’s Galileo global navigation satellite system. The latest launch brings the system’s total number of satellites to 18, and two more launches planned for 2017 and 2018 will leave the 24-satellite system fully operational. The European-operated Ariane 5 rocket launched from the Guiana Space Center, a French and European spaceport located near the town of Kourou. Unlike the rest of South America’s territories, French Guiana is not a sovereign nation, but rather an overseas Department and Region administered by France. Despite its location on the northern coast of South America, the spaceport consequently falls directly under European jurisdiction. As such, it is directly governed by the French president, is an integral part of the European Union, and uses the Euro as its official currency.
France first opened the spaceport in 1968. It later became jointly associated with the European Space Agency in 1975. Because of its proximity to the equator and the Atlantic Ocean, the location proves ideal for rocket launches. The equator allows the Earth’s rotation to propel rockets with additional momentum when launched to the east. The Atlantic Ocean’s proximity to this launch path prevents rocket stages and debris from causing damage upon landfall. The spaceport and the jobs it provides are an integral part of French Guiana’s economy and help give the territory the highest per-capita GDP in South America.
Galileo, operated by the European Commission, promises an alternative global navigation system fully under civilian control. This contrasts the two current, military-operated systems, the US Global Positioning System (GPS) and Russia’s Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS). By establishing a third system, Europe will provide both consumer and commercial users with increased accuracy, particularly in dense cities and at high altitudes. The new system also gives European nations increased independence, allowing them to continue using vital location services even in the event that the U.S. or Russia disable their own respective systems.
The Guiana Space Center and its dual, European-South American identity clearly evince the global dominance that France, and Europe more broadly, used to enjoy. Now, Europe is moving to divest itself of dependency on America and Russia by developing Galileo. This move has the potential to shift forces in the international system to harken back to Europe’s early-20th century supremacy. Though it may ultimately be overshadowed by more pressing economic concerns, the launch remains highly symbolic and a major step for European space navigation.
