With over 100 successful missions to orbit, the Ariane 5 is one of the world’s most reliable heavy lift vehicles capable of delivering Webb to its destination in space.
The European Space Agency (ESA) is providing the launcher and associated launch services as part of its contribution to the Webb mission. These launch services have been tailored to accommodate all the specific requirements of the Webb mission.
Rockets launching from French Guiana on the northeastern coast of South America benefit from a slingshot effect of being so close to the equator, where the rotational speed of Earth at the surface is greatest.
Webb’s launch site is Arianespace’s ELA-3 launch complex at the Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG), or Guiana Space Center. The center is located near the town of Kourou in French Guiana, an overseas department of France.