Rocket launch sites are the critical gateways to space – a gateway that is becoming increasingly important for humanity. In 2025, more than 300 rocket launches were conducted worldwide, a new record that clearly illustrates the growing activity in space. With the Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG), Europe has its own spaceport in French Guiana, near the city of Kourou on the northeastern coast of South America. The space center was built in the 1960s and is operated by the French space agency Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES). It is the main launch site of the European Space Agency (ESA), ensuring Europe’s continuous access to space. Thanks to its proximity to the equator, rockets launched from here gain extra thrust from the Earth’s rotation, saving fuel and allowing heavier payloads to be carried. From CSG, European launch vehicles such as Ariane and Vega, as well as Soyuz rockets, lift off for scientific, commercial, and security-related missions.

The work “launch tower” depicts the launch complex “Ensemble de Lancement Soyouz” (ELS), which was constructed between 2005 and 2011. Technically, it is modeled on the classic launch pads of the Baikonur Cosmodrome, but it incorporates important adaptations to meet European safety standards and the tropical climate. The artist photographed the launch pad early in the morning, just before a Soyuz rocket launch.
The viewer looks out from the so-called flame trench up toward the launch tower, which is illuminated by four floodlights. At the center of the composition stands the assembly and launch tower, which fully encloses the rocket before liftoff. At the base, the complex and sophisticated hold-down structure is visible. The hold-down arms – also called “tulip arms” – are an impressive example of functional engineering design. Their construction is intended to securely hold the rocket, provide access for all necessary operations, and at the same time ensure a fast, controlled release at launch. Just before ignition, the entire tower retracts, leaving the rocket free on the pad. The scene is framed by a pink-violet glowing morning sky. At the top of the tower, cameras installed by the artist can already be seen, which will record the rocket’s powerful launch hours later. “launch tower” is a companion piece to “ignition” (2019), which captures the dramatic moment of the rocket launch and presents the entire scene from a reverse perspective.