Launch Pad for Russian Soyuz-STS Rockets Demolished at Kourou Spaceport

• April 26, 2026

At the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana, the launch complex dedicated to Russian Soyuz-STS rockets was recently dismantled. The facility was taken down through controlled explosions, marking the end of its operational role.

End of Soyuz-STS Launch Operations at Kourou

According to the French space-focused blog Techniques Spatiales, which shared the development on social media platform X, the Soyuz-STS launch pad was demolished last Friday. The move effectively eliminates the infrastructure that supported the deployment of Russian Soyuz-STS rockets from the Kourou spaceport.

Kourou has long been a strategic launch site for various space missions due to its advantageous geographic location near the equator, which provides improved launch efficiency. The Soyuz-STS program utilized this site to deploy satellites and other payloads into orbit.

This demolition marks a significant change for the Kourou spaceport, ending a chapter of international cooperation involving Russian launch vehicles. Details regarding the reasons behind the dismantling or plans for future use of the site were not disclosed.

The controlled dismantling of the launch pad was carried out with precise use of explosives, a method commonly employed in decommissioning outdated or redundant space infrastructure to ensure safety and clear the area for potential new developments.

The Kourou spaceport, operated by the French space agency CNES and European partners, continues to serve as a major hub for satellite launches, primarily through the Ariane and Vega rocket programs. The removal of the Soyuz-STS pad may signal shifts in launch vehicle strategies and international collaboration at the facility.

No official statement has yet been made regarding the future of the launch complex site or its role in upcoming space missions. Observers in the aerospace community will be watching for announcements on both the spaceport’s evolving infrastructure and the broader implications for launch operations involving Russian rockets.

The launch facility for Russian Soyuz-STS rockets at Kourou spaceport in French Guiana was recently dismantled using explosives.