Coronavirus Update: ESA's French Guiana Spaceport Suspends Launches Due To Outbreak

Launch campaigns at the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana have been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The suspension follows the directive of the French government, which states that non-essential activities should be limited.

The next launch was supposed to be for France-based Arianespace towards the end of March but, given the circumstances, the Vega rocket set to launch satellites into low-Earth orbit has been suspended.

"These launch preparations will resume as soon as allowed by health conditions," Arianespace said in a statement. "This exceptional measure is designed to protect the health of employees and the local population, while also maintaining the security needed to prepare for scheduled launches. Arianespace, French space agency CNES and all companies involved at CSG are currently overseeing operations to place launchers and satellites in safe standby condition, in line with standard procedures."

Another mission that could be affected by the suspension is the Soyuz rocket launch in April, which is set to launch the Falcon Eye 2 military surveillance satellite for the United Arab Emirates.

Guiana Space Center Indefinite Suspension

Guiana Space Center is located in French Guiana on the northeastern coast of South America. It is the home base for Ariane 5, Soyuz and Vega rockets. It is run by France as well as the European Space Agency, which also provides a significant part of its budget.

The measures taken by the French government come as the country reports 5,423 confirmed cases and 127 deaths. As such, France has imposed a near-total lockdown, with President Emmanuel Macron urging the citizens to stay at home for at least 15 days.

It is, so far, unclear how long Guiana Space Center will suspend launches. However, the indefinite suspension could significantly affect the launches planned for this year, including the 22 launches Arianespace had planned for 2020.

Coronavirus Affecting Space Industry

The COVID-19 pandemic has so far affected the space industry in various ways. NASA, for instance, has had to implement work-from-home orders at the Ames Research Center in California as well as the Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama after two employees tested positive for the virus. All other NASA facilities have also been placed under Stage 2 of NASA's Response Framework as an extra precaution.

The European Space Agency has also postponed the ExoMars mission to 2022 partly because of the outbreak while many high-profile space conferences have also been canceled or changed to an online format.