Canopée
ArianeGroup
Canopée at sea. Photo: ©ESA, ArianeGroup–Tom van Oossanen
Canopée is an ArianeGroup purpose-built wind-assisted cargo vessel. The primary role of the vessel is to deliver Ariane 6 components from Europe to the launch site in French Guiana, South America. Canopée is equipped with four Oceanwings sails, making it the first large-scale sailing cargo vessel ever made, according to shipbuilder Neptune Marine.
Each Oceanwing is 30m high with a total sail area of 363 m2 . The four sails were added to the ship in July 2023. The use of sails should allow the vessel to save up to 35% on fuel consumption per trip.
The vessel was built in 2022, completed sea trials in December 2022 and was christened at a ceremony in Bordeaux, France in October 2023. Canopée made its first trans-Atlantic voyage from Europe to French Guiana in January 2023, a trip that typically takes 10 days. The hardware for the inaugural Ariane 6 rocket launch was delivered to French Guiana by Canopée in February 2024.
ESM-3 European Service Module loaded onto Canopée. Photo: ©ESA
Despite its primary mission to deliver the Ariane 6 rocket. Canopée is also used to deliver satellites and other spaceflight hardware for the European Space Agency. The vessel delivered the Sentinel-2C climate satellite to French Guiana for launch and made its first visit to the USA in September 2024, delivering the ESM-3 module to Kennedy Space Center. The European Service Module willy fly on the SLS Artemis-III mission to the moon later this decade.
Last Known Location
Track the last known AIS position received from Canopée. When the ship is far offshore, this service will not update regularly. Follow @SpaceOffshore across social media for updates!
Vital Statistics
Owner: Jifmar Offshore Services
Operator: Alizés
Length: 121m / 397 ft
Breadth: 22m / 72 ft
Year Built: 2022
Joined ArianeGroup: 2023
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