France and ESA sign CSG spaceport agreement

Paris, 11 April 2002

Today, at European Space Agency headquarters in Paris, Mr Roger-Gérard Schwartzenberg, the French Minister for Research, and Mr Antonio Rodotà, ESA Director General, signed an agreement on the Guiana Space Centre (CSG), Europe's spaceport in French Guiana.

Covering the period 2002-2006, the agreement extends the French government's guarantee of ESA's access to facilities and resources belonging to the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales at the CSG and use of them for its programmes and activities, Ariane launcher operations in particular.

It replaces the previous agreement, which expired at the end of 2001. Together with the decisions taken at November's ministerial-level meeting of the ESA Council in Edinburgh, it secures Europe's access to space from its spaceport in French Guiana and confirms the solidarity of all ESA member states with the European launcher sector.

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