The launch pad for the Russian Soyuz-CT rocket at the European Kourou spaceport in French Guyana has been dismantled using a controlled explosion.
Footage of the demolition was published in a Telegram channel by space industry expert and former head of the press service of Roscosmos, Dmitry Strugovets.
The mobile service tower, which reached a height of 52 meters, was demolished on Friday, April 24, 2026. Prior to that, spaceport personnel dismantled cable masts and truss structures used to position the rocket vertically before launch.
The controlled destruction of the structure marks one of the final stages in the decommissioning of Russia’s launch infrastructure at the European spaceport.
In March, the European spaceflight portal reported that the company Maia Space had postponed the first launch of its Maia rocket from 2026 to 2027. The rocket is intended to launch from a reconfigured Soyuz-CT launch complex at Kourou in French Guyana.
According to the company, up to 80% of the existing Soyuz infrastructure will be preserved for the new program. This includes the assembly and testing facility, railway infrastructure, liquid oxygen storage systems, and fueling stations.
History of Soyuz-CT Operations
The Soyuz-CT is a version of Russia’s medium-class Soyuz-2 rocket adapted for launches from the Kourou spaceport. Between 2011 and 2022, a total of 27 launches were conducted from the European launch site in South America.
Following the start of the special military operation, Soyuz-CT launches were suspended. Since then, the Kourou launch site previously used for Soyuz missions has been undergoing gradual conversion for Europe’s new Maia rocket system.
The dismantling of the Soyuz-CT mobile service tower symbolizes the definitive end of Russia’s operational presence at one of Europe’s key space launch facilities. The site is now being restructured to support the next generation of European small-lift launch vehicles.
Pravda / ABC Flash Point News 2026.
Wonder why Russians are not welcome in any other part of the world anymore ?