(BBC) January 29, 2010
The European rocket launch site in French Guiana may have become the world's most important commercial satellite spaceport, but Sue Nelson finds that its boom is alienating the locals. No-one forgets their first rocket launch. Mine was an Ariane 4 in the Amazonian Basin. The rocket rose breathtakingly and unexpectedly slowly - and in complete silence. Sound is a tortoise compared to the speed of light and it takes time before a deep rumble accompanies the visuals. On my return to the Guiana Space Centre, the first immediate difference I notice is Cayenne's Rochambeau airport.
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