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Baikonur Cosmodrome

December 18, 2023

The Baikonur Cosmodrome (Kazakh: Байқоңыр ғарыш айлағы Baiqoñyr ğaryş ailağy [bɑjxɔˈnər ɣɑˈrəʃ ɑjlɑˈɣə]; Russian: Космодром Байконур Kosmodrom Baykonur [kɐsməˈdrom bɐjkəˈnʊr]) is a spaceport operated by Russia within Kazakhstan. Located in the Kazakh city of Baikonur, it is the largest operational space launch facility in terms of area.[1] All Russian crewed spaceflights are launched from Baikonur.[2]

Baikonur Cosmodrome

Kazakh: Байқоңыр ғарыш айлағы
Russian: Космодром Байконур
The Cosmodrome's "Gagarin's Start" launchpad on 10 October 2008, prior to the rollout of Soyuz TMA-13.
Summary
Airport typeSpaceport
Owner/Operator
Location Kazakhstan (leased to  Russia)
Built1955
Time zoneAQTT (UTC+05:00)
Elevation AMSL90 m / 295 ft
Coordinates45°57′54″N 63°18′18″E / 45.965°N 63.305°E / 45.965; 63.305
Websitebaikonurtour.com
Map
Baikonur Cosmodrome
Location in Kazakhstan
Baikonur Cosmodrome
Location relative to Russia (leased until 2050)
Baikonur Cosmodrome
Location in the former Soviet Union

Situated in the Kazakh Steppe, some 90 metres (300 ft) above sea level, it is 200 kilometres (120 mi) to the east of the Aral Sea and north of the Syr Darya. It is close to Töretam, a station on the Trans-Aral Railway. Russia, as the official successor state to the Soviet Union, has retained control over the facility since 1991; it originally assumed this role through the post-Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), but ratified an agreement with Kazakhstan in 2005 that allowed it to lease the spaceport until 2050. It is jointly managed by Roscosmos and the Russian Aerospace Forces.[citation needed]

In 1955, the Soviet Ministry of Defence issued a decree and founded the Baikonur Cosmodrome.[3] It was originally built as the chief base of operations for the Soviet space program. The Cosmodrome served as the launching point for Sputnik 1 and Vostok 1. The launchpad used for both missions was renamed "Gagarin's Start" in honour of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who piloted Vostok 1 and became the first human in outer space.[4] Under the current Russian management, Baikonur remains a busy spaceport, with numerous commercial, military, and scientific missions being launched annually.[5][6][7]

History edit

Soviet era edit

 
A U-2 spy plane photograph of R-7 launch pad in Tyuratam, taken on 5 August 1957.

The Soviet government issued the decree for Scientific Research Test Range No. 5 (NIIP-5; Russian: 5-й Научно-Исследовательский Испытательный Полигон, Pjáty Naúchno-Isslédovatel'skii Ispytátel'nyi Poligón) on 12 February 1955. It was actually founded on 2 June 1955, originally a test center for the world's first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM),[8] the R-7 Semyorka. NIIP-5 was soon expanded to include launch facilities for space flights. The site was selected by a commission led by General Vasily Voznyuk, influenced by Sergey Korolyov, the Chief Designer of the R-7 ICBM, and soon the man behind the Soviet space program. It had to be surrounded by plains, as the radio control system of the rocket required (at the time) receiving uninterrupted signals from ground stations hundreds of kilometres away.[9] Additionally, the missile trajectory had to be away from populated areas. Also, it is advantageous to place space launch sites closer to the equator, as the surface of the Earth has higher rotational speed in such areas. Taking these constraints into consideration, the commission chose Tyuratam, a village in the heart of the Kazakh Steppe. The expense of constructing the launch facilities and the several hundred kilometres of new road and train lines made the Cosmodrome one of the most costly infrastructure projects undertaken by the Soviet Union.[citation needed] A supporting town was built around the facility to provide housing, schools, and infrastructure for workers. It was raised to city status in 1966 and named Leninsk (Russian: Ленинск).

The American U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance plane found and photographed the Tyuratam missile test range for the first time on 5 August 1957.[citation needed]

In April of 1975, in preparation for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, the first NASA astronauts were allowed to tour the cosmodrome. Upon their return to the United States, the crews commented that on their evening flight to Moscow they had seen lights on launch pads and related complexes for more than 15 minutes, and according to astronaut Thomas Stafford, "that makes Cape Kennedy look very small."

Name edit

According to most sources, the name Baikonur was deliberately chosen in 1961 (around the time of Gagarin's flight) to misdirect[9][10][11] the Western Bloc to a place about 320 kilometres (200 mi) northeast of the launch center, the small mining town and railway station of Baikonur near Jezkazgan. Leninsk, the closed city built to support the cosmodrome, was renamed Baikonur on 20 December 1995 by Boris Yeltsin.

According to NASA's history of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, the name Baikonur was not chosen to misdirect, but was the name of the Tyuratam region before the establishment of the cosmodrome.[10]

Environmental impact edit

Russian scientist Afanasiy Ilich Tobonov researched mass animal deaths in the 1990s and concluded that the mass deaths of birds and wildlife in the Sakha Republic were noted only along the flight paths of space rockets launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome.[12] Dead wildlife and livestock were usually incinerated, and the participants in these incinerations, including Tobonov himself, his brothers and inhabitants of his native village of Eliptyan, commonly died from stroke or cancer. In 1997, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation changed the flight path and removed the ejected rocket stages near Nyurbinsky District, Russia.[citation needed]

Scientific literature collected data that indicated adverse effects of rockets on the environment and the health of the population.[13] UDMH, a fuel used in Russian rocket engines, is highly toxic. It is one of the reasons for acid rains and cancers in the local population, near the cosmodrome. Valery Yakovlev, a head of the laboratory of ecosystem research of the State scientific-production union of applied ecology "Kazmechanobr", notes: "Scientists have established the extreme character of the destructive influence of the "Baikonur" space center on environment and population of the region: 11 000 tons of space scrap metal, polluted by especially toxic UDMH is still laying on the falling grounds".[14] Scrap recovery is part of the local economy.[15]

Importance edit

Many historic flights lifted off from Baikonur: the first operational ICBM; the first man-made satellite, Sputnik 1, on 4 October 1957; the first spacecraft to travel close to the Moon, Luna 1, on 2 January 1959; the first crewed and orbital flight by Yuri Gagarin on 12 April 1961; and the flight of the first woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova, in 1963. 14 cosmonauts of 13 other nations, including Czechoslovakia, East Germany, India and France have launched from Baikonur under the Interkosmos program as well. In 1960, a prototype R-16 ICBM exploded before launch, killing over 100 people. Baikonur is also the site from which Venera 9 and Mars 3 were launched.

Post-Soviet era edit

 
A Soyuz rocket is erected into position at the Baikonur Cosmodrome's Pad 1/5 (Gagarin's Start) on 24 March 2009. The rocket launched the crew of Expedition 19 and a spaceflight participant on 26 March 2009.[16]

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russian space program continued to operate from Baikonur under the auspices of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Russia wanted to sign a 99-year lease for Baikonur, but agreed to a US$115 million annual lease of the site for 20 years with an option for a 10-year extension.[17] On 8 June 2005, the Russian Federation Council ratified an agreement between Russia and Kazakhstan extending Russia's rent term of the spaceport until 2050. The rent price—which remained fixed at US$115,000,000 per year – is the source of a long-running dispute between the two countries.[18] In an attempt to reduce its dependency on Baikonur, Russia is constructing the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur Oblast.[19]

Baikonur has been a major part of Russia's contribution to the International Space Station (ISS), as it is the only spaceport from which Russian missions to the ISS are launched. It is primarily the border's position (but to a lesser extent Baikonur's position at about the 46th parallel north) that led to the 51.6° orbital inclination of the ISS; the lowest inclination that can be reached by Soyuz boosters launched from Baikonur without flying over China.[20] With the conclusion of NASA's Space Shuttle program in 2011, Baikonur became the sole launch site used for crewed missions to the ISS[2][21] until the launch of Crew Dragon Demo-2 in 2020.

In 2019, Gagarin's Start hosted three crewed launches, in March, July and September, before being shut down for modernisation for the new Soyuz-2 rocket with a planned first launch in 2023.[22] The final launch from Gagarin's Start took place 25 September 2019. Gagarin's Start failed to receive funding (in part due to Russian invasion of Ukraine) to modernize it for the slightly larger Soyuz-2 rocket. In 2023, it was announced that the Russian and Kazakhstan authorities plan to deactivate the site as a space launch pad and turn it into a museum (in part for tourism purposes).[23]

On March 7, 2023, the Kazakh government seized control of the Baiterek launch complex, one of the launch sites at Baikonur Cosmodrome, banning numerous Russian officials from leaving the country and preventing the liquidation of assets by Roscosmos. One of the reasons for the seizure was due to Russia failing to pay a $29.7 million debt to the Kazakh government. The seizure comes after Russia's relations with Kazakhstan became tense due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.[24][25][26]

Features edit

Baikonur is fully equipped with facilities for launching both crewed and uncrewed spacecraft. It has supported several generations of Russian spacecraft: Soyuz, Proton, Tsyklon, Dnepr, Zenit and Buran.

Downrange from the launchpad, spent launch equipment is dropped directly on the ground in the Russian far east where it is salvaged by the workers and the local population.[27]

List of launchpads edit

class=notpageimage|
Major launchpads at Baikonur Cosmodrome

Buran facilities edit

Main article: Buran programme

As part of the Buran programme, several facilities were adapted or newly built for the Buran-class space shuttle orbiters:

  • Site 110 – Used for the launch of the Buran-class orbiters. Like the assembly and processing hall at Site 112, the launch complex was originally constructed for the Soviet lunar landing program and later converted for the Energia-Buran program.
  • Site 112 – Used for orbiter maintenance and to mate the orbiters to their Energia launchers (thus fulfilling a role similar to the VAB at KSC). The main hangar at the site, called MIK RN or MIK 112, was originally built for the assembly of the N1 Moon rocket. After cancellation of the N-1 program in 1974, the facilities at Site 112 were converted for the Energia-Buran program. It was here that Orbiter K1 was stored after the end of the Buran program and was destroyed when the hangar roof collapsed in 2002.[28][29]
  • Site 251 – Used as Buran orbiter landing facility, also known as Yubileyniy Airfield (and fulfilling a role similar to the SLF at KSC). It features one runway, called 06/24, which is 4,500 metres (14,800 ft) long and 84 metres (276 ft) wide, paved with "Grade 600" high quality reinforced concrete. At the edge of the runway was a special mating–demating device, designed to lift an orbiter off its Antonov An-225 Mriya carrier aircraft and load it on a transporter, which would carry the orbiter to the processing building at Site 254. A purpose-built orbiter landing control facility, housed in a large multi-store office building, was located near the runway. Yubileyniy Airfield was also used to receive heavy transport planes carrying elements of the Energia-Buran system. After the end of the Buran program, Site 251 was abandoned but later reopened as a commercial cargo airport. Besides serving Baikonur, Kazakh authorities also use it for passenger and charter flights from Russia.[30][31]
  • Site 254 – Built to service the Buran-class orbiters between flights (thus fulfilling a role similar to the OPF at KSC). Constructed in the 1980s as a special four-bay building, it also featured a large processing area flanked by several floors of test rooms. After cancellation of the Buran program it was adapted for pre-launch operations of the Soyuz and Progress spacecraft.[32]

Intra-site railway edit

 
A Soyuz TMA-16 launch vehicle being transported to launchpad at Baikonur in 2009.

All Baikonur's logistics are based on its own intra-site 1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) gauge railway network, which is the largest industrial railway on the planet. The railway is used for all stages of launch preparation, and all spacecraft are transported to the launchpads by the special Schnabel cars. Once part of the Soviet Railroad Troops, the Baikonur Railway is now served by a dedicated civilian state company. There are several rail links connecting the Baikonur Railway to the public railway of Kazakhstan and the rest of the world.

On-site airports edit

The Baikonur Cosmodrome has two on-site multi-purpose airports, serving both the personnel transportation needs and the logistics of space launches (including the delivery of the spacecraft by planes). There are scheduled passenger services from Moscow to the smaller Krayniy Airport (IATA: BXY, ICAO: UAOL), which however are not accessible to the public. The larger Yubileyniy Airport (Юбилейный аэропорт) (IATA: UAON) was where the Buran orbiter was transported to Baikonur on the back of the Antonov An-225 Mriya cargo aircraft.

ICBM testing edit

Although Baikonur has always been known around the world as the launch site of Soviet and Russian space missions, from its outset in 1955 and until the collapse of the USSR in 1991 the primary purpose of this center was to test liquid-fueled ballistic missiles. The official (and secret) name of the center was State Test Range No. 5 or 5 GIK. It remained under the control of the Soviet and Russian Ministry of Defense until the second half of the 1990s, when the Russian civilian space agency and its industrial contractors started taking over individual facilities.[citation needed]

In 2006, the head of Roscosmos, Anatoly Perminov, said that the last Russian military personnel would be removed from the Baikonur facility by 2007. However, on 22 October 2008, an SS-19 Stiletto missile was test-fired from Baikonur, indicating this may not be the case.[33]

Future projects edit

On 22 December 2004, Kazakhstan and Russia signed a contract establishing the "Russia–Kazakhstan Baiterek JV" joint venture, in which each country holds a 50% stake. The goal of the project is the construction of the Bayterek ("poplar tree") space launch complex, to facilitate operations of the Russian Angara rocket launcher.[34] This will allow launches with a payload of 26 tons to low Earth orbit, compared to 20 tons using the Proton system. An additional benefit will be that the Angara uses kerosene as fuel and oxygen as the oxidiser, which is less hazardous to the environment than the toxic fuels used by older boosters. The total expenditure on the Kazakh side will be US$223 million over 19 years.[35] As of 2010, the project was stalling due to insufficient funding. It was thought that the project still had good chances to succeed because it will allow both parties – Russia and Kazakhstan – to continue the joint use of Baikonur even after the Vostochny Cosmodrome is commissioned.[36] The first scheduled launch of the Baiterek Rocket and Space Complex is scheduled for 2025.[37]

Baikonur Museum edit

 
Buran at Baikonur Museum

Baikonur Cosmodrome has a small museum, next to two small cottages, once residences of the rocket engineer Sergei Korolev and the first cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin. Both cottages are part of the museum complex and have been preserved. The museum is home to a collection of space artifacts. A restored test artifact from the Soviet Buran programme sits next to the museum entrance. The vehicle that flew a single orbital test mission in 1988 was destroyed in a hangar collapse in 2002;[38][39][40] For a complete list of Buran artifacts, see Buran (spacecraft).

The museum also houses photographs related to the cosmodrome's history, including images of all cosmonauts. Every crew of every expedition launched from Baikonur leaves behind a signed crew photograph that is displayed behind the glass.

Baikonur's museum holds many objects related to Gagarin, including the ground control panel from his flight, his uniforms, and soil from his landing site, preserved in a silver container. One of the museum rooms also holds an older version of the Soyuz descent capsule.

In 2021, the Baikonur space complex was named as one of the top 10 tourist destinations in Kazakhstan.[41]

In 2023, a plan was announced add the Gagarin's Start launch complex into the museum complex at Baikonur.[23]

In popular culture edit

Baikonur Cosmodrome was featured prominently in the 2010 video game Call of Duty: Black Ops. In one mission in the campaign, the main character is tasked by John F. Kennedy with destroying a Soyuz spacecraft and eliminating several high-value targets at the launch complex.

The Baikonur Cosmodrome also serves as the inspiration for a location in the 2014 videogame Destiny (video game).

Baikonur Cosmodrome, the city of Baikonur, and the surrounding areas (including the Aral Sea) are featured heavily in Terry Hayes' 2023 spy/thriller novel The Day Of The Locust

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Baikonur Cosmodrome 45.9 N 63.3 E". FAS.org. Federation of American Scientists (FAS). from the original on 14 August 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Baikonur Cosmodrome". NASA. from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
  3. ^ "Baikonur cosmodrome celebrated 63rd anniversary". Dispatch News Desk. 3 June 2018. from the original on 20 October 2018. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  4. ^ "Yuri Gagarin: First Man in Space". Space.com. 13 October 2018. from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  5. ^ Putz, Catherine (2 June 2015). "World's Most Important Spaceport Turns 60". The Diplomat. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  6. ^ "Baikonur Cosmodrome". International Launch Services. from the original on 31 January 2011. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
  7. ^ Wilson, Jim (5 August 2000). "Safe Launch For Critical Space Station Module". Popular Mechanics.
  8. ^ Wade, Mark. . Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
  9. ^ a b Suvorov, Vladimir (1997). The first manned spaceflight: Russia's quest for space. Nova Publishers. pp. 16–17. ISBN 978-1-56072-402-5. from the original on 17 February 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  10. ^ a b "The Partnership: A History of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project". NASA. from the original on 1 December 1998. Retrieved 16 March 2007.
  11. ^ "Launcher". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  12. ^ . Archived from the original on 23 July 2011.
  13. ^ Abdrazak, P. Kh; Musa, K. Sh (21 June 2015). "The impact of the cosmodrome "Baikonur" on the environment and human health". International Journal of Biology and Chemistry. 8 (1): 26–29. doi:10.26577/2218-7979-2015-8-1-26-29. from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016 – via ijbch.kaznu.kz.
  14. ^ "GREEN WOMEN". from the original on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  15. ^ Cooper, Paul (7 June 2018). "In Russia's Space Graveyard, Locals Scavenge Fallen Spacecraft for Profit". Discover. from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  16. ^ "Expedition 19". NASA. from the original on 24 May 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  17. ^ . Defense Daily. 30 March 1994. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2015 – via HighBeam Research.
  18. ^ "Kazakhstan Finally Ratifies Baikonur Rental Deal With Russia". spacedaily.com. 12 April 2010. from the original on 14 May 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  19. ^ "Kazcosmos chief Talgat Musabaev: Baikonur is Still the Core of Kazakh-Russian Cooperation in Space". interfax.kz. February 2008. from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  20. ^ Curry, John (8 October 2002). . spaceflight.nasa.gov. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Archived from the original on 4 December 2002. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
  21. ^ "Russian Craft Docks at International Space Station". Radiofreeeurope/Radioliberty. Radio Free Europe. from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
  22. ^ Berger, Eric (23 April 2019). "Russia may soon decommission the world's most historic launch pad". Ars Technica. from the original on 23 April 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  23. ^ a b Berger, Eric (16 October 2023). "After six decades, 'Gagarin's Start' will meet its end as a launch pad". Ars Technica. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  24. ^ "Kazakhstan Seizes Russian Assets At Baikonur SpaceportAviation Week Network". aviationweek.com. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  25. ^ "Kazakhstan Impounds Property Of Russian Cosmodrome Operator In Baikonur". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 14 March 2023.
  26. ^ "Kazakhstan Seizes Russia's Launch Facility at Baikonur". Universe Today. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  27. ^ Baikonur Downrange 13 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Russianspaceweb.com
  28. ^ . Archived from the original on 6 July 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  29. ^ "Buran The end". from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  30. ^ . Archived from the original on 25 February 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  31. ^ "UAON pilot info @ OurAirports". from the original on 18 March 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  32. ^ . Archived from the original on 9 August 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  33. ^ "Russia test-fires old missile to extend lifespan". Reuters. 22 October 2008. from the original on 19 October 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  34. ^ . Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. Archived from the original on 30 June 2006. Retrieved 10 May 2006.
  35. ^ "Kazakh President Signs Law Re Baiterek Rocket Center". www.spacedaily.com. 24 October 2005. from the original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  36. ^ Vorontsov, Dmitri; Igor Afanasyev (10 November 2009). "Angara getting ready for launch". Russia CIS Observer. 3 (26). from the original on 1 January 2010. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  37. ^ "Baiterek Rocket and Space Complex set to launch in 2025". The Astana Times. from the original on 27 March 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
  38. ^ Whitehouse, David (13 May 2002). "Russia's space dreams abandoned". bbc.co.uk. BBC. from the original on 20 March 2007. Retrieved 14 November 2007.
  39. ^ "Buran.ru: Photo of collapsed hangar". from the original on 25 July 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  40. ^ "Buran.ru: Remains of Buran photo with right front windscreen still visible under the debris". from the original on 20 December 2006. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  41. ^ June 2021, Adelya Dauletkyzy in Tourism on 16 (16 June 2021). "Kazakhstan Selects Top 10 Tourist Destinations". The Astana Times. Retrieved 27 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

Further reading edit

  • J. K. Golovanov, M., "Korolev: Facts and myths", Nauka, 1994, ISBN 5-02-000822-2
  • "Rockets and people" – B. E. Chertok, M: "mechanical engineering", 1999. ISBN 5-217-02942-0 (in Russian)
  • "A breakthrough in space" – Konstantin Vasilyevich Gerchik, M: LLC "Veles", 1994, – ISBN 5-87955-001-X
  • "At risk," – A. A. Toul, Kaluga, "the Golden path", 2001, – ISBN 5-7111-0333-1
  • "Testing of rocket and space technology – the business of my life" Events and facts – A.I. Ostashev, Korolev, 2001.Bibliography 1996–2004
  • "Baikonur. Korolev. Yangel." – M. I. Kuznetsk, Voronezh: IPF "Voronezh", 1997, ISBN 5-89981-117-X
  • "Look back and look ahead. Notes of a military engineer" – Rjazhsky A. A., 2004, SC. first, the publishing house of the "Heroes of the Fatherland" ISBN 5-91017-018-X.
  • "Rocket and space feat Baikonur" – Vladimir Порошков, the "Patriot" publishers 2007. ISBN 5-7030-0969-3
  • "Unknown Baikonur" – edited by B. I. Posysaeva, M.: "globe", 2001. ISBN 5-8155-0051-8
  • "Bank of the Universe" – edited by Boltenko A. C., Kyiv, 2014., publishing house "Phoenix", ISBN 978-966-136-169-9
  • Mike Gruntman (2019), "From Tyuratam Missile Range to Baikonur Cosmodrome", Acta Astronautica, Elsevier Ltd, 155: 350–366, Bibcode:2019AcAau.155..350G, doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2018.12.021, S2CID 116406451
  • "I look back and have no regrets. " - Author: Abramov, Anatoly Petrovich: publisher "New format" Barnaul, 2022. ISBN 978-5-00202-034-8

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Baikonur Cosmodrome.
  • Baikonur Cosmodrome historical note (in Russian) and historical pictures (2002) on buran.ru – NPO Molniya, maker of Russian space shuttle Buran.
  • RussianSpaceWeb.com on Baikonur
  • 360° interactive panoramas of Baikonur Cosmodrome
  • Baikonur: the town, the cosmodrome, the MetOp-A launch campaign
  • "World's Oldest Space Launch Facility: The Baikonur Cosmodrome." Sometimes Interesting. 26 May 2014
  • Nedelin Disaster // RussianSpaceWeb.com (in English)
  • The official website of the city administration Baikonur // Baikonur commemorated a test rocket and space technology.(in Russian)
  • The Russian Union Of Veterans // Day of memory and grief.(in Russian)
  • Baikonur Cosmodrome at Memory Alpha

December 18, 2023
baikonur, cosmodrome, kazakh, Байқоңыр, ғарыш, айлағы, baiqoñyr, ğaryş, ailağy, bɑjxɔˈnər, ɣɑˈrəʃ, ɑjlɑˈɣə, russian, Космодром, Байконур, kosmodrom, baykonur, kɐsməˈdrom, bɐjkəˈnʊr, spaceport, operated, russia, within, kazakhstan, located, kazakh, city, baikon. The Baikonur Cosmodrome Kazakh Bajkonyr garysh ajlagy Baiqonyr garys ailagy bɑjxɔˈner ɣɑˈreʃ ɑjlɑˈɣe Russian Kosmodrom Bajkonur Kosmodrom Baykonur kɐsmeˈdrom bɐjkeˈnʊr is a spaceport operated by Russia within Kazakhstan Located in the Kazakh city of Baikonur it is the largest operational space launch facility in terms of area 1 All Russian crewed spaceflights are launched from Baikonur 2 Baikonur CosmodromeKazakh Bajkonyr garysh ajlagy Russian Kosmodrom BajkonurThe Cosmodrome s Gagarin s Start launchpad on 10 October 2008 prior to the rollout of Soyuz TMA 13 IATA noneICAO noneLID GC0015SummaryAirport typeSpaceportOwner OperatorRoscosmosRussian Aerospace ForcesLocation Kazakhstan leased to Russia Built1955Time zoneAQTT UTC 05 00 Elevation AMSL90 m 295 ftCoordinates45 57 54 N 63 18 18 E 45 965 N 63 305 E 45 965 63 305Websitebaikonurtour wbr comMapBaikonur CosmodromeLocation in KazakhstanShow map of KazakhstanBaikonur CosmodromeLocation relative to Russia leased until 2050 Show map of RussiaBaikonur CosmodromeLocation in the former Soviet UnionShow map of the Soviet UnionMap all coordinates using OpenStreetMapDownload coordinates as KML GPX all coordinates GPX primary coordinates GPX secondary coordinates Situated in the Kazakh Steppe some 90 metres 300 ft above sea level it is 200 kilometres 120 mi to the east of the Aral Sea and north of the Syr Darya It is close to Toretam a station on the Trans Aral Railway Russia as the official successor state to the Soviet Union has retained control over the facility since 1991 it originally assumed this role through the post Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States CIS but ratified an agreement with Kazakhstan in 2005 that allowed it to lease the spaceport until 2050 It is jointly managed by Roscosmos and the Russian Aerospace Forces citation needed In 1955 the Soviet Ministry of Defence issued a decree and founded the Baikonur Cosmodrome 3 It was originally built as the chief base of operations for the Soviet space program The Cosmodrome served as the launching point for Sputnik 1 and Vostok 1 The launchpad used for both missions was renamed Gagarin s Start in honour of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin who piloted Vostok 1 and became the first human in outer space 4 Under the current Russian management Baikonur remains a busy spaceport with numerous commercial military and scientific missions being launched annually 5 6 7 Contents 1 History 1 1 Soviet era 1 1 1 Name 1 1 2 Environmental impact 1 1 3 Importance 1 2 Post Soviet era 2 Features 2 1 List of launchpads 2 2 Buran facilities 2 3 Intra site railway 2 4 On site airports 3 ICBM testing 4 Future projects 5 Baikonur Museum 6 In popular culture 7 See also 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External linksHistory editSoviet era edit nbsp A U 2 spy plane photograph of R 7 launch pad in Tyuratam taken on 5 August 1957 The Soviet government issued the decree for Scientific Research Test Range No 5 NIIP 5 Russian 5 j Nauchno Issledovatelskij Ispytatelnyj Poligon Pjaty Nauchno Issledovatel skii Ispytatel nyi Poligon on 12 February 1955 It was actually founded on 2 June 1955 originally a test center for the world s first intercontinental ballistic missile ICBM 8 the R 7 Semyorka NIIP 5 was soon expanded to include launch facilities for space flights The site was selected by a commission led by General Vasily Voznyuk influenced by Sergey Korolyov the Chief Designer of the R 7 ICBM and soon the man behind the Soviet space program It had to be surrounded by plains as the radio control system of the rocket required at the time receiving uninterrupted signals from ground stations hundreds of kilometres away 9 Additionally the missile trajectory had to be away from populated areas Also it is advantageous to place space launch sites closer to the equator as the surface of the Earth has higher rotational speed in such areas Taking these constraints into consideration the commission chose Tyuratam a village in the heart of the Kazakh Steppe The expense of constructing the launch facilities and the several hundred kilometres of new road and train lines made the Cosmodrome one of the most costly infrastructure projects undertaken by the Soviet Union citation needed A supporting town was built around the facility to provide housing schools and infrastructure for workers It was raised to city status in 1966 and named Leninsk Russian Leninsk The American U 2 high altitude reconnaissance plane found and photographed the Tyuratam missile test range for the first time on 5 August 1957 citation needed In April of 1975 in preparation for the Apollo Soyuz Test Project the first NASA astronauts were allowed to tour the cosmodrome Upon their return to the United States the crews commented that on their evening flight to Moscow they had seen lights on launch pads and related complexes for more than 15 minutes and according to astronaut Thomas Stafford that makes Cape Kennedy look very small Name edit According to most sources the name Baikonur was deliberately chosen in 1961 around the time of Gagarin s flight to misdirect 9 10 11 the Western Bloc to a place about 320 kilometres 200 mi northeast of the launch center the small mining town and railway station of Baikonur near Jezkazgan Leninsk the closed city built to support the cosmodrome was renamed Baikonur on 20 December 1995 by Boris Yeltsin According to NASA s history of the Apollo Soyuz Test Project the name Baikonur was not chosen to misdirect but was the name of the Tyuratam region before the establishment of the cosmodrome 10 Environmental impact edit Russian scientist Afanasiy Ilich Tobonov researched mass animal deaths in the 1990s and concluded that the mass deaths of birds and wildlife in the Sakha Republic were noted only along the flight paths of space rockets launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome 12 Dead wildlife and livestock were usually incinerated and the participants in these incinerations including Tobonov himself his brothers and inhabitants of his native village of Eliptyan commonly died from stroke or cancer In 1997 the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation changed the flight path and removed the ejected rocket stages near Nyurbinsky District Russia citation needed Scientific literature collected data that indicated adverse effects of rockets on the environment and the health of the population 13 UDMH a fuel used in Russian rocket engines is highly toxic It is one of the reasons for acid rains and cancers in the local population near the cosmodrome Valery Yakovlev a head of the laboratory of ecosystem research of the State scientific production union of applied ecology Kazmechanobr notes Scientists have established the extreme character of the destructive influence of the Baikonur space center on environment and population of the region 11 000 tons of space scrap metal polluted by especially toxic UDMH is still laying on the falling grounds 14 Scrap recovery is part of the local economy 15 Importance edit Many historic flights lifted off from Baikonur the first operational ICBM the first man made satellite Sputnik 1 on 4 October 1957 the first spacecraft to travel close to the Moon Luna 1 on 2 January 1959 the first crewed and orbital flight by Yuri Gagarin on 12 April 1961 and the flight of the first woman in space Valentina Tereshkova in 1963 14 cosmonauts of 13 other nations including Czechoslovakia East Germany India and France have launched from Baikonur under the Interkosmos program as well In 1960 a prototype R 16 ICBM exploded before launch killing over 100 people Baikonur is also the site from which Venera 9 and Mars 3 were launched Post Soviet era edit nbsp A Soyuz rocket is erected into position at the Baikonur Cosmodrome s Pad 1 5 Gagarin s Start on 24 March 2009 The rocket launched the crew of Expedition 19 and a spaceflight participant on 26 March 2009 16 Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 the Russian space program continued to operate from Baikonur under the auspices of the Commonwealth of Independent States Russia wanted to sign a 99 year lease for Baikonur but agreed to a US 115 million annual lease of the site for 20 years with an option for a 10 year extension 17 On 8 June 2005 the Russian Federation Council ratified an agreement between Russia and Kazakhstan extending Russia s rent term of the spaceport until 2050 The rent price which remained fixed at US 115 000 000 per year is the source of a long running dispute between the two countries 18 In an attempt to reduce its dependency on Baikonur Russia is constructing the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur Oblast 19 Baikonur has been a major part of Russia s contribution to the International Space Station ISS as it is the only spaceport from which Russian missions to the ISS are launched It is primarily the border s position but to a lesser extent Baikonur s position at about the 46th parallel north that led to the 51 6 orbital inclination of the ISS the lowest inclination that can be reached by Soyuz boosters launched from Baikonur without flying over China 20 With the conclusion of NASA s Space Shuttle program in 2011 Baikonur became the sole launch site used for crewed missions to the ISS 2 21 until the launch of Crew Dragon Demo 2 in 2020 In 2019 Gagarin s Start hosted three crewed launches in March July and September before being shut down for modernisation for the new Soyuz 2 rocket with a planned first launch in 2023 22 The final launch from Gagarin s Start took place 25 September 2019 Gagarin s Start failed to receive funding in part due to Russian invasion of Ukraine to modernize it for the slightly larger Soyuz 2 rocket In 2023 it was announced that the Russian and Kazakhstan authorities plan to deactivate the site as a space launch pad and turn it into a museum in part for tourism purposes 23 On March 7 2023 the Kazakh government seized control of the Baiterek launch complex one of the launch sites at Baikonur Cosmodrome banning numerous Russian officials from leaving the country and preventing the liquidation of assets by Roscosmos One of the reasons for the seizure was due to Russia failing to pay a 29 7 million debt to the Kazakh government The seizure comes after Russia s relations with Kazakhstan became tense due to the ongoing war in Ukraine 24 25 26 Features editBaikonur is fully equipped with facilities for launching both crewed and uncrewed spacecraft It has supported several generations of Russian spacecraft Soyuz Proton Tsyklon Dnepr Zenit and Buran Downrange from the launchpad spent launch equipment is dropped directly on the ground in the Russian far east where it is salvaged by the workers and the local population 27 List of launchpads edit nbsp nbsp 1 5 nbsp 31 6 nbsp 41 3 nbsp 45 1 nbsp 110 37 nbsp 81 23 nbsp 109 95 nbsp 200 39 nbsp 90 20 nbsp 250class notpageimage Major launchpads at Baikonur Cosmodrome Pad 1 5 Gagarin s Start 1957 2019 Soyuz Soyuz Soyuz Progress Soyuz Ikar 45 55 12 N 63 20 31 E 45 920 N 63 342 E 45 920 63 342 Pad 31 6 Soyuz Kosmos Soyuz Fregat 45 59 46 N 63 33 50 E 45 996 N 63 564 E 45 996 63 564 Pad 41 3 R 16 Destroyed in 1960 explosion 45 58 30 N 63 39 36 E 45 975 N 63 660 E 45 975 63 660 Pad 41 4 R 16 1961 67 45 58 34 N 63 39 54 E 45 976 N 63 665 E 45 976 63 665 Pad 41 15 R 16 Kosmos 3 1963 68 45 58 34 N 63 40 08 E 45 976 N 63 669 E 45 976 63 669 Pad 45 1 Zenit 2 Zenit 2M Zenit 3M 45 56 35 N 63 39 11 E 45 943 N 63 653 E 45 943 63 653 Pad 45 2 Destroyed in 1990 explosion Zenit 2 45 56 24 N 63 39 18 E 45 940 N 63 655 E 45 940 63 655 Pad 51 R 9 1961 62 45 55 26 N 63 20 28 E 45 924 N 63 341 E 45 924 63 341 Pad 60 6 R 16 1963 66 46 01 08 N 64 00 58 E 46 019 N 64 016 E 46 019 64 016 Pad 60 7 R 16 1963 67 46 01 05 N 64 01 05 E 46 018 N 64 018 E 46 018 64 018 Pad 60 8 R 16 1962 66 46 01 01 N 64 01 05 E 46 017 N 64 018 E 46 017 64 018 Pad 67 21 Tsyklon R 36M R 36O MR UR 100 Sotka 1963 72 45 59 20 N 63 42 18 E 45 989 N 63 705 E 45 989 63 705 Pad 67 22 Tsyklon R 36 R 36O 1964 66 45 59 24 N 63 42 25 E 45 990 N 63 707 E 45 990 63 707 Pad 69 Tsyklon 2 Pad 70 Destroyed in 1963 explosion R 9 46 01 59 N 63 05 46 E 46 033 N 63 096 E 46 033 63 096 Pad 75 R 9 45 57 49 N 63 12 07 E 45 963600 N 63 201922 E 45 963600 63 201922 Pad 80 17 Tsyklon 1965 46 00 25 N 64 01 12 E 46 007 N 64 020 E 46 007 64 020 Pad 81 23 81L inactive gt 2004 Proton K 46 04 26 N 62 58 41 E 46 074 N 62 978 E 46 074 62 978 Pad 81 24 81P Proton K Proton M 46 04 16 N 62 59 06 E 46 071 N 62 985 E 46 071 62 985 Pad 90 19 90L inactive gt 1997 UR 200 Tsyklon 2 46 04 52 N 62 55 55 E 46 081 N 62 932 E 46 081 62 932 Pad 90 20 90R inactive gt 2006 UR 200 Tsyklon 2 46 04 48 N 62 56 06 E 46 080 N 62 935 E 46 080 62 935 Pad 101 R 36M 1973 76 45 57 05 N 63 25 38 E 45 951504 N 63 427341 E 45 951504 63 427341 Pad 102 R 36M 1978 45 55 58 N 63 26 06 E 45 932813 N 63 435014 E 45 932813 63 435014 Pad 103 R 36M 1973 77 45 57 07 N 63 26 42 E 45 952 N 63 445 E 45 952 63 445 Pad 104 R 36M 1972 74 45 59 17 N 63 25 12 E 45 988 N 63 420 E 45 988 63 420 Pad 105 R 36M 1974 77 45 57 00 N 63 29 46 E 45 950 N 63 496 E 45 950 63 496 Pad 106 R 36M 1974 83 45 57 04 N 63 29 49 E 45 951 N 63 497 E 45 951 63 497 Pad 107 R 36 46 14 15 N 63 53 31 E 46 237492 N 63 892040 E 46 237492 63 892040 Pad 108 R 36 46 14 20 N 63 53 41 E 46 238912 N 63 894699 E 46 238912 63 894699 Pad 109 95 R 36M Dnepr 45 57 04 N 63 29 49 E 45 951 N 63 497 E 45 951 63 497 Pad 110 37 110L inactive gt 1988 N 1 Energia Buran 45 57 54 N 63 18 18 E 45 965 N 63 305 E 45 965 63 305 Pad 110 38 110R inactive gt 1969 N 1 45 57 43 N 63 18 36 E 45 962 N 63 310 E 45 962 63 310 Pad 130 UR 100 1965 46 05 09 N 62 54 56 E 46 085924 N 62 915518 E 46 085924 62 915518 Pad 131 UR 100N UR 100 Rokot 1965 90 46 04 19 N 62 57 22 E 46 072 N 62 956 E 46 072 62 956 Pad 132 UR 100NU 2001 02 46 02 12 N 63 02 52 E 46 036724 N 63 047795 E 46 036724 63 047795 Pad 140 18 R 36 1965 78 45 59 48 N 63 33 13 E 45 996640 N 63 553517 E 45 996640 63 553517 Pad 141 R 36 45 54 36 N 63 20 57 E 45 910054 N 63 349123 E 45 910054 63 349123 Pad 142 34 R 36 three silo complex 45 56 26 N 63 27 44 E 45 940690 N 63 462309 E 45 940690 63 462309 Pad 160 R 36O 46 04 40 N 62 56 32 E 46 077709 N 62 942152 E 46 077709 62 942152 Pad 161 35 Tsyklon 1967 73 46 02 02 N 63 03 47 E 46 034 N 63 063 E 46 034 63 063 Pad 162 36 Tsyklon 1966 75 46 01 55 N 63 04 01 E 46 032 N 63 067 E 46 032 63 067 Pad 163 R 36O 46 00 49 N 63 10 09 E 46 013689 N 63 169115 E 46 013689 63 169115 Pad 164 R 36O 45 56 40 N 63 03 50 E 45 944321 N 63 063822 E 45 944321 63 063822 Pad 165 R 36O 45 59 28 N 62 55 07 E 45 991019 N 62 918739 E 45 991019 62 918739 Pad 170 UR MR 100 1976 79 45 56 53 N 63 01 32 E 45 948045 N 63 025630 E 45 948045 63 025630 Pad 171 UR 100 UR 100N 46 06 13 N 63 00 29 E 46 103711 N 63 008046 E 46 103711 63 008046 Pad 172 UR MR 100 1978 81 46 03 54 N 63 05 31 E 46 065 N 63 092 E 46 065 63 092 Pad 173 UR MR 100 1972 78 46 01 46 N 63 07 51 E 46 029481 N 63 130727 E 46 029481 63 130727 Pad 174 UR 100 UR 100K 46 04 54 N 62 55 05 E 46 081768 N 62 918076 E 46 081768 62 918076 Pad 175 2 UR 100NU Rokot Strela 46 03 04 N 62 59 13 E 46 051 N 62 987 E 46 051 62 987 Pad 175 59 Rokot Strela 46 03 07 N 62 59 10 E 46 052 N 62 986 E 46 052 62 986 Pad 176 UR 100 46 01 22 N 63 02 48 E 46 022748 N 63 046610 E 46 022748 63 046610 Pad 177 UR MR 100 UR MR 100U 1973 78 45 58 47 N 63 06 02 E 45 979856 N 63 100512 E 45 979856 63 100512 Pad 178 UR 100 46 01 31 N 62 53 28 E 46 025231 N 62 891115 E 46 025231 62 891115 Pad 179 UR 100 45 59 22 N 62 57 50 E 45 989370 N 62 963890 E 45 989370 62 963890 Pad 181 UR MR 100U 1978 79 46 03 25 N 63 01 55 E 46 057032 N 63 031970 E 46 057032 63 031970 Pad 191 66 R 36O 1969 71 45 58 12 N 63 11 49 E 45 970 N 63 197 E 45 970 63 197 Pad 192 R 36O 46 01 27 N 63 17 59 E 46 024256 N 63 299723 E 46 024256 63 299723 Pad 193 R 36O 45 57 11 N 63 23 21 E 45 953101 N 63 389145 E 45 953101 63 389145 Pad 194 R 36O 45 51 55 N 63 17 11 E 45 865265 N 63 286486 E 45 865265 63 286486 Pad 195 R 36O 45 47 35 N 63 16 29 E 45 792929 N 63 274628 E 45 792929 63 274628 Pad 196 R 36O 45 49 41 N 63 08 51 E 45 828128 N 63 147363 E 45 828128 63 147363 Pad 200 39 200L Proton M Proton K 46 02 24 N 63 01 55 E 46 040 N 63 032 E 46 040 63 032 Pad 200 40 200R Proton K inactive gt 1991 46 02 10 N 63 02 17 E 46 036 N 63 038 E 46 036 63 038 Pad 241 R 36O 45 51 30 N 63 27 20 E 45 858357 N 63 455686 E 45 858357 63 455686 Pad 242 R 36O 45 56 43 N 63 28 53 E 45 945334 N 63 481266 E 45 945334 63 481266 Pad 243 R 36O 45 51 18 N 63 44 13 E 45 854873 N 63 736967 E 45 854873 63 736967 Pad 244 R 36O 45 50 25 N 63 38 04 E 45 840238 N 63 634400 E 45 840238 63 634400 Pad 245 R 36O 45 49 03 N 63 31 37 E 45 817592 N 63 526831 E 45 817592 63 526831 Pad 246 R 36O 45 45 56 N 63 25 24 E 45 765601 N 63 423444 E 45 765601 63 423444 Pad 250 inactive gt 1987 Energia 46 00 29 N 63 18 18 E 46 008 N 63 305 E 46 008 63 305Buran facilities edit Main article Buran programme As part of the Buran programme several facilities were adapted or newly built for the Buran class space shuttle orbiters Site 110 Used for the launch of the Buran class orbiters Like the assembly and processing hall at Site 112 the launch complex was originally constructed for the Soviet lunar landing program and later converted for the Energia Buran program Site 112 Used for orbiter maintenance and to mate the orbiters to their Energia launchers thus fulfilling a role similar to the VAB at KSC The main hangar at the site called MIK RN or MIK 112 was originally built for the assembly of the N1 Moon rocket After cancellation of the N 1 program in 1974 the facilities at Site 112 were converted for the Energia Buran program It was here that Orbiter K1 was stored after the end of the Buran program and was destroyed when the hangar roof collapsed in 2002 28 29 Site 251 Used as Buran orbiter landing facility also known as Yubileyniy Airfield and fulfilling a role similar to the SLF at KSC It features one runway called 06 24 which is 4 500 metres 14 800 ft long and 84 metres 276 ft wide paved with Grade 600 high quality reinforced concrete At the edge of the runway was a special mating demating device designed to lift an orbiter off its Antonov An 225 Mriya carrier aircraft and load it on a transporter which would carry the orbiter to the processing building at Site 254 A purpose built orbiter landing control facility housed in a large multi store office building was located near the runway Yubileyniy Airfield was also used to receive heavy transport planes carrying elements of the Energia Buran system After the end of the Buran program Site 251 was abandoned but later reopened as a commercial cargo airport Besides serving Baikonur Kazakh authorities also use it for passenger and charter flights from Russia 30 31 Site 254 Built to service the Buran class orbiters between flights thus fulfilling a role similar to the OPF at KSC Constructed in the 1980s as a special four bay building it also featured a large processing area flanked by several floors of test rooms After cancellation of the Buran program it was adapted for pre launch operations of the Soyuz and Progress spacecraft 32 Intra site railway edit nbsp A Soyuz TMA 16 launch vehicle being transported to launchpad at Baikonur in 2009 All Baikonur s logistics are based on its own intra site 1 520 mm 4 ft 11 27 32 in gauge railway network which is the largest industrial railway on the planet The railway is used for all stages of launch preparation and all spacecraft are transported to the launchpads by the special Schnabel cars Once part of the Soviet Railroad Troops the Baikonur Railway is now served by a dedicated civilian state company There are several rail links connecting the Baikonur Railway to the public railway of Kazakhstan and the rest of the world On site airports edit The Baikonur Cosmodrome has two on site multi purpose airports serving both the personnel transportation needs and the logistics of space launches including the delivery of the spacecraft by planes There are scheduled passenger services from Moscow to the smaller Krayniy Airport IATA BXY ICAO UAOL which however are not accessible to the public The larger Yubileyniy Airport Yubilejnyj aeroport IATA UAON was where the Buran orbiter was transported to Baikonur on the back of the Antonov An 225 Mriya cargo aircraft ICBM testing editAlthough Baikonur has always been known around the world as the launch site of Soviet and Russian space missions from its outset in 1955 and until the collapse of the USSR in 1991 the primary purpose of this center was to test liquid fueled ballistic missiles The official and secret name of the center was State Test Range No 5 or 5 GIK It remained under the control of the Soviet and Russian Ministry of Defense until the second half of the 1990s when the Russian civilian space agency and its industrial contractors started taking over individual facilities citation needed In 2006 the head of Roscosmos Anatoly Perminov said that the last Russian military personnel would be removed from the Baikonur facility by 2007 However on 22 October 2008 an SS 19 Stiletto missile was test fired from Baikonur indicating this may not be the case 33 Future projects editOn 22 December 2004 Kazakhstan and Russia signed a contract establishing the Russia Kazakhstan Baiterek JV joint venture in which each country holds a 50 stake The goal of the project is the construction of the Bayterek poplar tree space launch complex to facilitate operations of the Russian Angara rocket launcher 34 This will allow launches with a payload of 26 tons to low Earth orbit compared to 20 tons using the Proton system An additional benefit will be that the Angara uses kerosene as fuel and oxygen as the oxidiser which is less hazardous to the environment than the toxic fuels used by older boosters The total expenditure on the Kazakh side will be US 223 million over 19 years 35 As of 2010 the project was stalling due to insufficient funding It was thought that the project still had good chances to succeed because it will allow both parties Russia and Kazakhstan to continue the joint use of Baikonur even after the Vostochny Cosmodrome is commissioned 36 The first scheduled launch of the Baiterek Rocket and Space Complex is scheduled for 2025 37 Baikonur Museum edit nbsp Buran at Baikonur MuseumBaikonur Cosmodrome has a small museum next to two small cottages once residences of the rocket engineer Sergei Korolev and the first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin Both cottages are part of the museum complex and have been preserved The museum is home to a collection of space artifacts A restored test artifact from the Soviet Buran programme sits next to the museum entrance The vehicle that flew a single orbital test mission in 1988 was destroyed in a hangar collapse in 2002 38 39 40 For a complete list of Buran artifacts see Buran spacecraft The museum also houses photographs related to the cosmodrome s history including images of all cosmonauts Every crew of every expedition launched from Baikonur leaves behind a signed crew photograph that is displayed behind the glass Baikonur s museum holds many objects related to Gagarin including the ground control panel from his flight his uniforms and soil from his landing site preserved in a silver container One of the museum rooms also holds an older version of the Soyuz descent capsule In 2021 the Baikonur space complex was named as one of the top 10 tourist destinations in Kazakhstan 41 In 2023 a plan was announced add the Gagarin s Start launch complex into the museum complex at Baikonur 23 In popular culture editBaikonur Cosmodrome was featured prominently in the 2010 video game Call of Duty Black Ops In one mission in the campaign the main character is tasked by John F Kennedy with destroying a Soyuz spacecraft and eliminating several high value targets at the launch complex The Baikonur Cosmodrome also serves as the inspiration for a location in the 2014 videogame Destiny video game Baikonur Cosmodrome the city of Baikonur and the surrounding areas including the Aral Sea are featured heavily in Terry Hayes 2023 spy thriller novel The Day Of The LocustSee also edit nbsp Spaceflight portal nbsp Soviet Union portal nbsp Russia portal nbsp Rocketry portalVostochny Cosmodrome Plesetsk Cosmodrome Svobodny Cosmodrome Kapustin YarReferences edit Baikonur Cosmodrome 45 9 N 63 3 E FAS org Federation of American Scientists FAS Archived from the original on 14 August 2016 Retrieved 19 July 2014 a b Baikonur Cosmodrome NASA Archived from the original on 1 March 2021 Retrieved 24 December 2011 Baikonur cosmodrome celebrated 63rd anniversary Dispatch News Desk 3 June 2018 Archived from the original on 20 October 2018 Retrieved 19 October 2018 Yuri Gagarin First Man in Space Space com 13 October 2018 Archived from the original on 20 December 2021 Retrieved 21 December 2021 Putz Catherine 2 June 2015 World s Most Important Spaceport Turns 60 The Diplomat Retrieved 14 April 2023 Baikonur Cosmodrome International Launch Services Archived from the original on 31 January 2011 Retrieved 6 April 2011 Wilson Jim 5 August 2000 Safe Launch For Critical Space Station Module Popular Mechanics Wade Mark R 7 Encyclopedia Astronautica Archived from the original on 29 June 2011 Retrieved 4 July 2011 a b Suvorov Vladimir 1997 The first manned spaceflight Russia s quest for space Nova Publishers pp 16 17 ISBN 978 1 56072 402 5 Archived from the original on 17 February 2021 Retrieved 4 June 2016 a b The Partnership A History of the Apollo Soyuz Test Project NASA Archived from the original on 1 December 1998 Retrieved 16 March 2007 Launcher www esa int Retrieved 2 September 2023 Group Afanasiy Ilich Tobonov Archived from the original on 23 July 2011 Abdrazak P Kh Musa K Sh 21 June 2015 The impact of the cosmodrome Baikonur on the environment and human health International Journal of Biology and Chemistry 8 1 26 29 doi 10 26577 2218 7979 2015 8 1 26 29 Archived from the original on 8 August 2016 Retrieved 2 August 2016 via ijbch kaznu kz GREEN WOMEN Archived from the original on 12 October 2016 Retrieved 2 August 2016 Cooper Paul 7 June 2018 In Russia s Space Graveyard Locals Scavenge Fallen Spacecraft for Profit Discover Archived from the original on 12 June 2018 Retrieved 19 June 2018 Expedition 19 NASA Archived from the original on 24 May 2011 Retrieved 9 June 2011 Russia Kazakhs reach Biakonur lease deal Defense Daily 30 March 1994 Archived from the original on 24 September 2015 Retrieved 28 May 2015 via HighBeam Research Kazakhstan Finally Ratifies Baikonur Rental Deal With Russia spacedaily com 12 April 2010 Archived from the original on 14 May 2015 Retrieved 5 January 2011 Kazcosmos chief Talgat Musabaev Baikonur is Still the Core of Kazakh Russian Cooperation in Space interfax kz February 2008 Archived from the original on 19 July 2011 Retrieved 5 January 2011 Curry John 8 October 2002 Mission Control Answers Your Questions Why is the space station in a 51 6 inclined orbit instead of something less or something more spaceflight nasa gov National Aeronautics and Space Administration Archived from the original on 4 December 2002 Retrieved 28 March 2017 Russian Craft Docks at International Space Station Radiofreeeurope Radioliberty Radio Free Europe Archived from the original on 28 March 2016 Retrieved 24 December 2011 Berger Eric 23 April 2019 Russia may soon decommission the world s most historic launch pad Ars Technica Archived from the original on 23 April 2019 Retrieved 23 April 2019 a b Berger Eric 16 October 2023 After six decades Gagarin s Start will meet its end as a launch pad Ars Technica Retrieved 24 October 2023 Kazakhstan Seizes Russian Assets At Baikonur SpaceportAviation Week Network aviationweek com Retrieved 15 March 2023 Kazakhstan Impounds Property Of Russian Cosmodrome Operator In Baikonur Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty 14 March 2023 Kazakhstan Seizes Russia s Launch Facility at Baikonur Universe Today Retrieved 8 May 2023 Baikonur Downrange Archived 13 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine Russianspaceweb com Energia Buran processing complex at Site 112 and 112A Archived from the original on 6 July 2015 Retrieved 2 August 2016 Buran The end Archived from the original on 5 September 2017 Retrieved 2 August 2016 Buran landing facility at Site 251 in Baikonur Archived from the original on 25 February 2015 Retrieved 2 August 2016 UAON pilot info OurAirports Archived from the original on 18 March 2016 Retrieved 2 August 2016 Buran processing facility at Site 254 in Baikonur Archived from the original on 9 August 2015 Retrieved 2 August 2016 Russia test fires old missile to extend lifespan Reuters 22 October 2008 Archived from the original on 19 October 2020 Retrieved 2 July 2017 Baiterek Space Launch Complex Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center Archived from the original on 30 June 2006 Retrieved 10 May 2006 Kazakh President Signs Law Re Baiterek Rocket Center www spacedaily com 24 October 2005 Archived from the original on 13 September 2015 Retrieved 5 August 2015 Vorontsov Dmitri Igor Afanasyev 10 November 2009 Angara getting ready for launch Russia CIS Observer 3 26 Archived from the original on 1 January 2010 Retrieved 3 January 2010 Baiterek Rocket and Space Complex set to launch in 2025 The Astana Times Archived from the original on 27 March 2017 Retrieved 26 March 2017 Whitehouse David 13 May 2002 Russia s space dreams abandoned bbc co uk BBC Archived from the original on 20 March 2007 Retrieved 14 November 2007 Buran ru Photo of collapsed hangar Archived from the original on 25 July 2017 Retrieved 24 February 2013 Buran ru Remains of Buran photo with right front windscreen still visible under the debris Archived from the original on 20 December 2006 Retrieved 24 February 2013 June 2021 Adelya Dauletkyzy in Tourism on 16 16 June 2021 Kazakhstan Selects Top 10 Tourist Destinations The Astana Times Retrieved 27 September 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link Further reading editJ K Golovanov M Korolev Facts and myths Nauka 1994 ISBN 5 02 000822 2 Rockets and people B E Chertok M mechanical engineering 1999 ISBN 5 217 02942 0 in Russian A breakthrough in space Konstantin Vasilyevich Gerchik M LLC Veles 1994 ISBN 5 87955 001 X At risk A A Toul Kaluga the Golden path 2001 ISBN 5 7111 0333 1 Testing of rocket and space technology the business of my life Events and facts A I Ostashev Korolev 2001 Bibliography 1996 2004 Baikonur Korolev Yangel M I Kuznetsk Voronezh IPF Voronezh 1997 ISBN 5 89981 117 X Look back and look ahead Notes of a military engineer Rjazhsky A A 2004 SC first the publishing house of the Heroes of the Fatherland ISBN 5 91017 018 X Rocket and space feat Baikonur Vladimir Poroshkov the Patriot publishers 2007 ISBN 5 7030 0969 3 Unknown Baikonur edited by B I Posysaeva M globe 2001 ISBN 5 8155 0051 8 Bank of the Universe edited by Boltenko A C Kyiv 2014 publishing house Phoenix ISBN 978 966 136 169 9 Mike Gruntman 2019 From Tyuratam Missile Range to Baikonur Cosmodrome Acta Astronautica Elsevier Ltd 155 350 366 Bibcode 2019AcAau 155 350G doi 10 1016 j actaastro 2018 12 021 S2CID 116406451 I look back and have no regrets Author Abramov Anatoly Petrovich publisher New format Barnaul 2022 ISBN 978 5 00202 034 8External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Baikonur Cosmodrome Baikonur Cosmodrome historical note in Russian and historical pictures 2002 on buran ru NPO Molniya maker of Russian space shuttle Buran RussianSpaceWeb com on Baikonur 360 interactive panoramas of Baikonur Cosmodrome Baikonur the town the cosmodrome the MetOp A launch campaign World s Oldest Space Launch Facility The Baikonur Cosmodrome Sometimes Interesting 26 May 2014 Nedelin Disaster RussianSpaceWeb com in English The official website of the city administration Baikonur Baikonur commemorated a test rocket and space technology in Russian The Russian Union Of Veterans Day of memory and grief in Russian Baikonur Cosmodrome at Memory Alpha Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Baikonur Cosmodrome amp oldid 1189615617, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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