Construction of the new Soyuz launch facility at the Guiana Space Centre (Centre Spatial Guyanais – CSG), Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
The four primary support arms that suspend Soyuz over its launch pad, shown in the open position. During launcher checkout and final countdown, these arms are closed around the Soyuz, forming a support ring at the vehicle’s ‘waist.’ At liftoff, the upward movement of the launch vehicle decreases the load on the support arms, allowing them to swing outward under the influence of counterweights located at their base.