Guyaspace Museum (Space Museum Kourou)

Guyaspace is the public visitor museum of the Guiana Space Centre (Centre Spatial Guyanais) in Kourou, French Guiana — a town approximately 60 km west of Cayenne that serves as Europe's primary operational spaceport. The museum occupies a modern building adjacent to the space centre and presents the history, science, and technology of the European space programme with particular emphasis on the Ariane rocket family and Kourou's role as Europe's main launch site. The permanent exhibition covers the physics of rocket propulsion, satellite technology, Earth observation, and the history of launches from this equatorial location — a site chosen because the Earth's rotation provides a natural velocity boost at the equator that reduces fuel requirements for geostationary orbit. Full-scale models and detailed replica sections of Ariane 5 and Ariane 6 rocket stages are on display; the engine bays are large enough to stand beside for direct scale comparison. Interactive exhibits allow visitors to simulate satellite orbital trajectories, explore microgravity science experiments, and understand astronomy concepts. The museum regularly updates displays to reflect recent launches. An outdoor area contains rocket components and original Ariane 1 engine hardware. Tickets can be purchased or verified at cnes.recreatex.be. Tours of the active launch facilities require separate advance booking through the CSG visitor programme and are subject to operational scheduling.