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But French Guiana is a geographically distant ex-colony, so there will always be a higher probability of future inaccessibility. Same applies to New Caledonia,
by Cyph0n 28d ago
But French Guiana is a geographically distant ex-colony, so there will always be a higher probability of future inaccessibility. Same applies to New Caledonia, Martinique, etc.
- panick21_ 27d agoIts not an ex-colony, its part of France and the EU.
- Cyph0n 27d agoIt was a French colonial subject as recently as the 20th century. Regardless, a launch facility within Europe seems much less riskier long term from a geopolitical standpoint.
- cccbbbaaa 27d agoAlthough you're right about the history of French Guiana, using that term to put on the same level as New Caledonia is nonsense. (Same goes for Martinique.)
- Cyph0n 27d agoI wasn’t talking about the historical aspect. Same applies = the same risk also exists due to geopolitics and distance. Heck, didn’t New Caledonia see a wave of protests that were crushed in the past year or two?
- cccbbbaaa 27d ago> Heck, didn’t New Caledonia see a wave of protests that were crushed in the past year or two? Yes, that's why the risk is NOT the same between French Guiana and New Caledonia. Both of them are oversea territories far from the mainland with a colonial past, but their current relationship with the mainland is very different. Around a quarter of the population of New Caledonia has been calling for independence for decades at this point, with 3 referendum organised during the last 10 years to resolve this issue. Only half of the population was able to vote to the referendums (and some local elections, like Congress of NC), due to local rules than are about to change–this, incidentally, is the cause of the protests you are talking about. On the geopolitical side of things, the independentists are probably propped up by Azerbaijan (https://www.courrierinternational.com/article/geopolitique-nouvelle-caledonie-moscou-sourit-et-bakou-jubile_233281 https://www.courrierinternational.com/article/geopolitique-n...) and maybe China (https://www.lefigaro.fr/international/ambitions-geostrategiques-ressources-enviables-pourquoi-la-chine-etend-son-influence-en-nouvelle-caledonie-20230725 https://www.lefigaro.fr/international/ambitions-geostrategiq...). None of this holds for French Guiana. The risk between these territories is not the same. At all. Putting them on the same level by reducing them to their status as former colonies is nonsense.
- Cyph0n 27d agoThanks for explaining. But I am not sure how this contradicts my point? Sure, placing launch infrastructure in French Guiana is probably less risky than setting up shop in New Caledonia. Clearly, the risk profile is not the same for all of Overseas France. My point is that if the decision is between mainland and Overseas France, the latter introduces elevated risk in the long term in general. French Guiana could be fine today, but it is not impossible that the next few years could see the rise of a populist pro-independence movement that would eventually impact launch infrastructure (similar to how it did for the USSR). Reality is fundamentally chaotic after all.
- ButlerianJihad 27d agoHow about a spaceport in Caledonia proper? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SaxaVord_Spaceport https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SaxaVord_Spaceport How about the last time South America contested a little parcel of land? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falklands_War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falklands_War
- deleted 26d ago[deleted]