(Image: Edgar Martins)
This mobile gantry, seen from a rocket鈥檚-eye view and looking up, is where the latest example of the European Space Agency鈥檚 new Vega launch vehicle is taking shape. It sits at the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
The 50-metre-high gantry surrounds the rocket like a monolithic cocoon, protecting ESA engineers from the elements while Vega is . When the rocket is ready to launch, the 1000-tonne tower will peel away on rails, leaving Vega ready for lift-off.
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The picture was taken by , a Portuguese photographer who is documenting ESA鈥檚 awe-inspiring facilities around the globe. The images are featured in an upcoming book, , and an exhibition of the same name opening at in London on 25 April.
