KOUROU, French Guiana, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- Construction of the Soyuz launch base in French Guiana officially started Monday with officials of European and Russian space agencies in attendance.
The ceremony was led by European Space Agency Director-General Jean-Jacques Dordain; Yannick d'Escatha, president of the French Center for National Space Studies; Jean-Yves Le Gall, director general of Arianespace; and Anatoly Perminov, chief of Roscosmos.
The ESA said launching Soyuz rockets from the facility, located near Kourou, will make it possible to use French Guiana's equatorial position to significantly increase the launcher's lift capability.
The ESA, the European Union and Arianespace are funding construction of the launch base, with the French space agency acting as prime contractor.
