Interest in space exploration today is growing not only among society, but also among large states and organizations. Russia does not stand out from the general trend - on April 27, 2016, the first complexes of the new Vostochny Cosmodrome were put into operation. (UPD: April 28, 2016 at the same time, the launch was postponed by a day due to technical reasons) Its cost, according to TASS, is in phase full readiness will reach 300–400 billion rubles. But why is such an expensive facility needed, and what can it give to Russia and the whole world? Today we will understand the basics of spaceport construction.

In space flights, as in physics in general, exact numbers play a big role: they determine how and what will function. However, when the stars regulate themselves, astronautics depends entirely on man. The accuracy of actions and reliability of the designs of spacecraft and auxiliary equipment mean no less than an understanding of physical laws. This is especially true for the cosmodrome, the starting point of any space launch - once erected, it cannot be fundamentally changed, much less moved.

What is the Vostochny Cosmodrome like? We have collected its main parameters:

Eastern coordinates

The cosmodrome is located at 51° 49′ 0″ north latitude, 128° 15′ 0″ east longitude. Surely you noticed the accuracy of coordinates down to minutes - whole numbers allow you to speed up calculations of missile trajectories. At the same time, the deviation of the cosmodrome from the equator is very large. This is a very important parameter for astronautics, the influence of which on Vostochny we will consider further.

Total area of ​​the cosmodrome

The cosmodrome occupies about 700 square kilometers, the entire territory is 1035 km 2. This includes not only the “working” buildings of Vostochny, but also infrastructure, living quarters for workers, warehouses, etc.
Panoramas of the cosmodrome

Launch complexes

The cosmodrome is equipped with launch pads for two types of space devices at once: Soyuz-2 medium-class launch vehicles and Angara heavy rockets. It is the Soyuz rocket that will solemnly open the cosmodrome; the launch pad for the Angara will be built later. By the way, the latter are capable of launching manned spacecraft into low-Earth orbit, thereby turning Vostochny into a new center of astronautics.

Secondary buildings

Like all other cosmodromes, Vostochny must be equipped with everything for assembling and refueling rockets. Therefore, along with the launch facilities, plants for the production of nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen, hangars for the installation and testing of spacecraft, astronaut training and accommodation complexes, as well as treatment and water intake plants are being built.

Control

The real heart of the cosmodrome is not the launch pads and spacecraft, but the command center and the complex of measuring instruments. 67 kilometers of cable make it possible to remotely control all stages of preparation and launch of the rocket - but this is far from the only function of the center. It contains a suite of radars, communications and observation devices to track and control the launched rocket and help other spaceports carry out their missions.

Infrastructure

The cosmodrome is not only an important scientific and commercial facility, but also a social center. All Vostochny workers, from astronauts to general workers, need somewhere to live, eat, have fun and keep their bodies healthy. We need shops, hospitals, gyms, residential buildings, cinemas and more more people who will work in the service sector. This requires the construction of an entire city - the village of Uglegorsk next to the cosmodrome, which will be expanded and improved to accommodate 12 thousand people. In 2015, the city was renamed Tsiolkovsky - in honor of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, the founder of Soviet rocket science.

In addition to building a city for personnel, the cosmodrome needs transport channels - only airplanes and railroads can deliver spacecraft components and rocket fuel to the launch site. Before the construction of Vostochny, Tsiolkovsky was 5 kilometers away from the Trans-Siberian Railway, but now they will build a separate branch and, in addition, build a large airfield.

Pros and cons of the cosmodrome

Those who have been interested in astronautics for a long time know one of the basic rules- for maximum efficiency, rockets must be launched as close as possible to the equator and in the direction of rotation. Using the planet’s own motion, you can save fuel and put a larger mass into orbit - the equatorial “bonus” is about 1600 kilometers per hour, which is quite serious. Moving the launch site north or south from the equator reduces the acceleration from the Earth, but at the pole there is none at all.

As already mentioned, the Vostochny Cosmodrome is located far north of the equator, which makes launching rockets from there difficult. What made the state build a spaceport in such a place? To answer this question, it is worth learning a little more about the history of astronautics, specifically Russian.

A little background

Although theoretically rockets should be launched at the equator and against the Earth's rotation vector, in reality there is one serious obstacle to this - its name is politics. Since the superpowers have had intercontinental missiles and radars to track enemy missiles, astronauts have had to look at the geopolitical aspect of the matter. Thus, in the USSR they could not launch space rockets from the Far East - they would fly east, towards the USA, which could raise a considerable fuss. The times of the Cold War have already passed, but politics still puts a spoke in the wheels of space exploration. To this day, Israel, due to tense relations with its neighbors, has to launch rockets “in reverse”, not using, but overcoming the rotation of the planet.

In addition, the rocket leaves its mark on the rocket - spent stages and fairings not only clog the orbit, but also fall to Earth along the trajectory of the rocket. Accordingly, when building a cosmodrome, it is necessary to calculate in advance where massive and explosive debris will fall. The Americans are especially lucky here - their famous Cape Canaveral is located in the south, and to the east of it lies the ocean, where it is safe to “drop” pieces of rockets.

But let's return to Russia. Because of the above problems, Plesetsk became the main Soviet cosmodrome - although its latitude is 63°, which is even further north than the Vostochny one that is currently being built, it is located on the western side of Russia. This immediately solved a number of problems: it was possible not only to launch the rocket into orbit over the uninhabited territory of Russia, but also to land its parts where they could be assembled - in particular at the Kura test site in Kamchatka.

But due to the northern location of Plesetsk, it is best to send devices from it into the polar orbit of the Earth or make suborbital launches. Launching a rocket into geostationary orbit, which is located at high altitude, and even more so, long-distance flights require a more southern location of the cosmodrome. Therefore, over time, a cosmodrome was built in Baikonur, on the territory of modern Kazakhstan. Although in Soviet times he conceded the leadership in launching to Plesetsk; with the growing commercial popularity of geostationary satellites, he became the main cosmodrome for Russian spacecraft.

However, Baikonur also had its negative sides. It was impossible to send rockets strictly parallel to the equator from the very beginning - parts of the launch vehicles would fall on China. There are also climatic difficulties - although in the south there is mostly sunny and cloudless weather, necessary for the first stage of monitoring a launched rocket, strong winds complicate the installation of rockets, especially massive ones. And in the modern period, politics began to interfere again - the authorities of Kazakhstan have more than once given a ban on the launch of spacecraft just before the launch. All these factors became the reasons for the construction of a new cosmodrome.

Advantages and disadvantages of Eastern

So, in the modern period there is no longer any need to be afraid that the United States will confuse a conventional missile with a nuclear one - therefore, the advantages of the Russian Far East can be used. In addition to the entire Pacific Ocean and the uninhabited expanses of the taiga for landing spent rocket stages, builders are captivated by the climate favorable to astronautics. In the area where the Vostochny Cosmodrome is located, sunny weather reigns more than 84% of the year, and rain and snow are rare. Also, the new cosmodrome will be less disturbed by strong winds - here they only occur in the second half of spring.

However, there are also disadvantages. In addition to the distance from the equator, which will reduce the final payload of the rockets, the new location of the cosmodrome creates its own difficulties. Some disadvantages are hidden even in the advantages. For example, when a rocket deviates from course or when launched into a polar orbit, debris and stages will fall into forests, which will not cause immediate damage to the population and infrastructure of the region. But this can easily cause taiga. They are already causing a lot of trouble in the east - and a forest fire accelerated by an explosion of rocket fuel can become a real disaster.

Another disadvantage of the Vostochny Cosmodrome is its distance from Russian rocket and spacecraft production centers. Of course, airfields and railway lines are being built - but this increases both the cost of the cosmodrome itself and transportation costs. Some parts will have to be transported more than 5 thousand kilometers! What is true, this can be solved by restructuring production - for example, the assembly of new Angara missiles specifically for Vostochny will be transferred to Omsk.

The future of the Vostochny Cosmodrome

The main modules of the cosmodrome have already been built, and preparations are currently underway for the first launch. By 2020, they plan to complete the entire remaining infrastructure, as well as put into operation the launch pad for Angara rockets. Everything is aimed at showing the seriousness of the cosmodrome project - for example, during the first launch the rocket will launch three satellites into orbit at once.

Models of Angara family missiles

Will the Vostochny Cosmodrome be successful, and will it be able to completely replace Baikonur? As for the latter, we can confidently say no - a number of projects in which Roscosmos participates seem to be tied to Baikonur, and for now supermassive cargo can only be sent into space from Kazakhstan. However, the Angara rockets have not yet had time to prove themselves in action, and the lease of Baikonur lasts right up to 2050 - during this period a lot can change.

The only thing that makes you worry is the history of the Svobodny Cosmodrome. It is located very close to Vostochny, and it was also built with an eye to replacing Baikonur. But since 1997, only 5 missiles have been launched from it, and in 2007 it stopped functioning altogether. Will Vostochny repeat the fate of its predecessor? Time will show.

COSMODROME "KAPUSTIN YAR"

USSR Cosmodrome. Located near the village of Kapustin Yar in the Astrakhan region, in the lower reaches of the Volga at a point with coordinates 48.4 0 north latitude and 56.5 0 east longitude. Operating since 1947. Designed for launches of combat ballistic missiles, geophysical and meteorological missiles, as well as light space objects. Space objects placed into orbit of an artificial Earth satellite have an orbital inclination to the equatorial plane ranging from 480 to 510. It has not been in operation since 1988.

Cosmodrome map « Kapustin Yar»
Launch complexes:
SK RN Cosmos

The history of the Baikonur rocket test site and cosmodrome began in May 1946, when the decision was made to create a rocket test site. However, at that time Kapustin Yar appeared only on the list of possible locations. The choice of the location of the future training ground was entrusted to Major General Vasily Ivanovich Voznyuk. Voznyuk began by going to Germany and finding his guardsmen there, choosing stronger, more reliable people for the future training ground.
A reconnaissance group of specialists did a lot of work in a short time to select the location of the future landfill. All seven promising areas were examined, materials on meteorology, hydrology, communications, construction capabilities, and so on were collected and analyzed. The area of ​​the village of Kapustin Yar in the Astrakhan region was chosen, and it was this area that the group recommended for the construction of a future missile test site. The decision to build a training ground in Kapustin Yar was made by the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks and the Council of Ministers of the USSR on June 23, 1947. By the same decision, Major General Vasily Ivanovich Voznyuk was entrusted with the construction of the training ground, and he was appointed head of the future training ground.

Cosmodrome « Kapustin Yar»

The first officers arrived at the training ground on August 20, 1947. We pitched tents, set up a kitchen and a hospital. Military builders arrived along with Voznyuk's guards. The conditions were difficult, and what could the “conditions” be like in the bare steppe. On the third day, construction began on a concrete stand for fire testing of engines. In September 1947, a special-purpose brigade of Major General Alexander Fedorovich Tveretsky arrived from Thuringia (Germany). Then two special trains with equipment formed in Germany. In a month and a half of work, by the beginning of October 1947, in addition to the concrete test stand, a launch pad with a bunker, a temporary technical position, an assembly building, and a bridge were built. They built a highway and a railway line connecting the training ground with the main highway to Stalingrad. They built a lot, but only for the rocket. The first housing for officers was built only in 1948, and before that, builders and testers lived in tents, temporary huts, and peasant huts. Great help was provided by special trains, which were equipped not only with laboratory equipment, but also with fairly comfortable carriages for specialists and management. By October 1, 1947, Voznyuk reported to Moscow that the site was completely ready for missile launches, and already on October 14, 1947, the first batch of A-1 (V-2) missiles arrived at the site. Even earlier, Sergei Pavlovich Korolev and other specialists arrived at the test site.

Preparing for launch from the test site " Kapustin Yar»
the first Soviet rocket R-1

On October 18, 1947, the countdown for the functioning of the Kapustin Yar cosmodrome began. It was on this day at 10:47 am Moscow time that the first launch was made ballistic missile in USSR. The rocket rose to a height of 86 kilometers and reached the surface of the Earth 274 kilometers from the launch. The first series of launches was carried out from October 18 to November 13, 1947. During this period, 11 A-1 missiles were launched. There were successes and failures, but this concerned missiles, not ground equipment.
For 10 years (from 1947 to 1957), Kapustin Yar was the only testing site for Soviet ballistic missiles. Tests of the R-1 (September-October 1948, September-October 1949), R-2 (September-October 1949), R-5 (March 1953) and others were carried out at the test site. Even during the first series of launches in October-November 1947, Kapustin Yar began to be used as a launch site for geophysical rockets. The A-1 rocket, launched on November 2, 1947, was equipped with scientific instruments. Since then, this tradition was maintained until specialized geophysical rockets V-1 and V-2 were created. However, Kapustin Yar remained the launch site for geophysical rockets. Later, meteorological rockets were added to geophysical rockets. In June 1951, the first series of rocket launches with dogs on board took place.

Launch of an 8K63U rocket from a silo launcher
R-12U complex from the test site « Kapustin Yar»

In the early 50s, in addition to the active missile launch program, the formation and development of the test site's testing base was underway, and launch and technical complexes were being built. On February 20, 1956, a nuclear missile weapon was tested at the Kapustin Yar test site. The launched R-5 rocket delivered a nuclear warhead to the Astrakhan steppe, where a nuclear explosion occurred. The Kapustin Yar test site hosted launches of the Burya intercontinental ballistic missile in 1957-1959. On March 16, 1962, Kapustin Yar turned from a missile test site into a cosmodrome. On that day, the Cosmos-1 satellite was launched. Small research satellites were launched from the Kapustin Yar cosmodrome, launched using low-power launch vehicles.

Demonstration launches of the Pechora-2M air defense system at the test site « Kapustin Yar»

Since October 14, 1969, Kapustin Yar has operated as an international cosmodrome. On that day, the Intercosmos-1 satellite, created by specialists from socialist countries, was launched. The Indian satellites “Aryabhata” and “Bhaskara” and the French satellite “Snow-3” took off from Kapustiny Yar. Kapustin Yar played a major role in training qualified personnel for testing rocket and space technology and management personnel for new cosmodromes. The Kapustin Yar cosmodrome took on the role of a cosmodrome for “small” rockets and “small” Earth satellites for research purposes. This specialization remained until 1988, when the need for launches of such satellites sharply decreased and space launches from Kapustin Yar were discontinued. However, launch and technical positions for Cosmos-type launch vehicles are constantly maintained in working order and, if necessary, can be used at any time.
According to open data, since the 1950s, at least 11 nuclear explosions(at an altitude of 300 m to 5.5 km), the total yield of which is approximately 65 atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima. Except nuclear tests, 24 thousand guided missiles were exploded in Kapustin Yar, 177 samples were tested military equipment, 619 RSD-10 missiles were destroyed.

Monument to the R-1 rocket at the test site « Kapustin Yar»

In 1994, a test site for the Air Defense Forces became part of the 4th State Center of the Russian Defense Ministry. In October 1998, the 4th State Central training ground was transformed into the 4th State Central Interspecies training ground. In 1998, the Sary-Shagan training ground (located in southeastern Kazakhstan and leased by Russia) was withdrawn from the air defense forces and reassigned to the 4th State Central Interspecific training ground. In 1999, Russian troops were relocated to the Kapustin Yar training ground from the Kazakh training ground "Emba".

COSMODROME "BAIKONUR"

The Baikonur Cosmodrome is the world's first and largest cosmodrome of great international importance. Located on the territory of Kazakhstan, near the village of Tyuratam. Covers an area of ​​6717 km². Various types of launch vehicles can be launched from the cosmodrome. One of the three cosmodromes on the planet, along with the Cape Canaveral (USA) and Jiuquan (China) cosmodromes, designed to launch vehicles with astronauts on board. The ISS orbit was selected taking into account the latitude of Baikonur - the main launches were planned (and are being carried out) from it.

Map of the Baikonur cosmodrome
Launch complexes:
SK RN Rokot. Pl. No. 175
SK LV type Proton. Pl. No. 200. PU No. 39
SK 17P32-6 RN type R-7. Pl. No. 31. PU No. 6
SK LV type Proton. Pl. No. 81. PU No. 23
SK 11P877 RN Zenit. Pl. No. 45. PU No. 1
SK RN Cyclone. Pl. No. 90. PU No. 20
SK LV type Proton. Pl. No. 81. PU No. 24
SK 17P32-5 RN type R-7. Pl. No. 1. PU No. 5
SK missiles RS-20. Pl. No. 109

The R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile, developed to deliver a hydrogen bomb and later used as a prototype for the creation of launch vehicles for manned space flights, required the creation of a new test site for its testing (previously, tests of Soviet missiles were carried out at the Kapustin Yar test site in the Astrakhan region).

Cosmodrome "Baikonur"

When choosing a site for the construction of a landfill, we were guided by the following criteria:
. a vast, sparsely populated area, the lands of which were little used in agricultural production (there was a need to alienate large areas of land in the areas where rocket stages fell; the flight path should not pass over large populated areas);
. the presence of a railway line for the delivery of various cargo to the test site, including rocket blocks;
. reliable sources of fresh water to provide the landfill with drinking and process water in large volumes;
. the distance between the launch of the rocket and the place where its head part fell (Kura test site in Kamchatka) is at least 7000 km .

"Baikonur" - view from the dynamic test stand

Several options for the possible location of the test site were considered: the Mari Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, Dagestan (the western coast of the Caspian Sea), the Astrakhan region (near the city of Kharabali) and the Kzyl-Orda region. There was another important factor: the first modifications of the R-7 rocket were equipped with a radio control system. For its operation, it was necessary to have three ground points for sending radio commands: two symmetrical on both sides of the launch site at a distance of 150-250 km, the third - 300-500 km away from the launch along the flight path. This factor, ultimately, became decisive: the Kzyl-Orda region was chosen, since in the Mari version the radio control points would have been in impenetrable forests and swamps, in the Dagestan version - in inaccessible mountainous areas, in the Astrakhan one - one of the points would have to be placed on waters of the Caspian Sea.
So, for the test site, a desert was chosen in Kazakhstan to the east of the Aral Sea, near one of the largest rivers in Central Asia, the Syrdarya, in the middle between two regional centers of the Kzyl-Orda region of Kazakhstan - Kazalinsky and Dzhusaly, near the Tyuratam crossing of the Moscow-Tashkent railway. Also, the advantages of the place as a launch site were more than three hundred sunny days per year and relative proximity to the equator.

Large-scale 3d model of the structures of the universal
stand-launch complex at the Baikonur cosmodrome

On February 12, 1955, the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR, by joint resolution No. 292-181ss, approved the creation of the Scientific Research Test Site No. 5 of the USSR Ministry of Defense (NIIP No. 5 of the USSR Ministry of Defense), intended for testing rocketry. A significant area of ​​desert was allocated for the location of the test site (a reconnaissance group of topographers and geologists worked here in 1954). The area where the test site was formed in the first half of 1955 had the code name “Taiga”.

Baikonur cosmodrome tracking station

Builder Major General G. M. Shubnikov was appointed construction manager. The first detachment of military builders arrived at the Tyura-Tam station on January 12, 1955.
Construction work at the site began in the second half of the winter of 1955. At first, military builders lived in tents; in the spring, the first dugouts appeared on the banks of the Syr Darya, and on May 5, the first permanent (wooden) building of a residential town was laid. On the same day, May 5, 1957, a special commission accepted the first launch complex of the test site, and on May 6, the first R-7 rocket was already installed at this complex.
The official birthday of the cosmodrome is considered to be June 2, 1955, when the directive of the General Staff approved the staffing structure of the Fifth Research Test Site. By the start of testing and launches, there were 527 engineers and 237 technicians at the test site, the total number of military personnel was 3,600 people.
To disorient a potential enemy, camouflage structures (“false cosmodrome”) were built in the Karaganda region near the village of Baikonur. After the start spaceship“Vostok” (with Yu. A. Gagarin on board) this name in the open press was assigned to the real cosmodrome - NIIP No. 5.
May 15, 1957 - start of operation; launch of the R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile. The launch was unsuccessful - the rocket flew only 400 km.
August 21, 1957 - successful test of the R-7 rocket.
On October 4, 1957, the world's first artificial Earth satellite, Sputnik-1, was launched into orbit from Baikonur. Its mass was 83.6 kilograms.
November 3, 1957 - launch of Sputnik 2 with the dog Laika on board.
In the fall of 1959, Luna 2 delivered a spacecraft to the Moon for the first time.
August 19, 1960 - Sputnik 5 was launched with dogs Belka and Strelka on board. After 17 orbits around the Earth, the device landed in a given area. The dogs returned alive.
On October 24, 1960, at the cosmodrome, during testing of the R-16 ballistic missile, an accident occurred. major disaster, as a result of which 78 people died from fire and poisoning by fuel components, among whom was the commander-in-chief of the Strategic Missile Forces Mitrofan Nedelin.
On April 12, 1961, Vostok-1 was launched from the cosmodrome, a spacecraft that for the first time in the world delivered a person to low-Earth orbit (Yu. A. Gagarin). Having completed one revolution around the Earth in 1 hour 48 minutes, the device landed in the Saratov region.
On October 24, 1963, a fire occurred at the cosmodrome in one of the combat silos of the R-9 rocket, which cost the lives of seven military testers.
May 15, 1987 - the first launch of the Energia super-heavy class launch vehicle.
November 15, 1988 - the first (and last) launch of the reusable rocket and space transport system "Energy" - "Buran". At the end of the flight, the Buran orbital vehicle made an automatic landing at the Yubileiny airfield, located in the northern part of the cosmodrome.

In total, more than 1,500 spacecraft were launched at Baikonur over 50 years for various purposes and more than 100 intercontinental ballistic missiles, 38 main types of missiles, more than 80 types of spacecraft and their modifications have been tested.
1991-1993 was the crisis period of the cosmodrome after the collapse of the USSR. The number of space launches has sharply decreased; a number of officers and industry workers, in the current environment of chaos and uncertainty, chose with their families to leave the cosmodrome for their homeland (to Russia, Ukraine, etc.) in search of better life. The status of the cosmodrome was also unclear, since it “found itself” on the territory of sovereign Kazakhstan, and in fact, the operation of Baikonur was carried out by Russia. The last straw was the transfer of the city's public services from the military department to the local Kazakh authorities, who had neither the funds nor the personnel to operate the vast city economy. All this led to great everyday problems in the severe frosty and snowy winter 1993/1994: in residential and office buildings of the city and the cosmodrome, the power supply was constantly cut off, and the heat and water supply worked with huge interruptions; in many apartments in the city the air temperature dropped to zero degrees.
The city's population dropped by almost half. According to the Department of Internal Affairs, in February 1995, 72 thousand people lived at the Baikonur complex, of which 55,855 people lived in the city, the rest in the villages of Tyura-Tam and Akai. 15 thousand Russians, 21 thousand Kazakhs, 2 thousand Ukrainians and 2 thousand other nationalities were registered.
In 1994, the cosmodrome with the city of Leninsk (now Baikonur) was leased to Russia. The annual rental cost is $115 million; military and other equipment is supplied to Kazakhstan as payment. Another $50 million is being transferred to maintain the infrastructure. This is the only cosmodrome at Russia’s disposal that allows the implementation of manned programs - other national cosmodromes in Russia are not suitable for such launches.
In 1997, a phased transfer of cosmodrome facilities from the Russian Ministry of Defense to Roscosmos began. By 2002, most of the spaceport's facilities were transferred to civilian enterprises.
On July 6, 1999, after the accident of the Russian military communications satellite "Raduga", the Kazakh authorities banned launches of space rockets from the cosmodrome. However, this contradicted the bilateral agreement on the lease of the cosmodrome by Russia, so on July 15, after compensation for the damage, the launches resumed.
At a meeting between V. Putin and N. Nazarbayev on January 9-10, 2004 in Astana (Kazakhstan), an agreement was signed on the development of cooperation on the effective use of the Baikonur complex, the lease period was extended until 2050 at the same rent of $115 million in year.
At the end of 2004, plans were announced to create the Baiterek rocket and space complex (Kazakh: Baiterek - poplar) at Baikonur. With its help, they plan to make commercial launches of spacecraft using the projected Angara launch vehicle. The operation of the rocket and space complex will take place on the principles of equal participation of Russia and Kazakhstan. Funding for the project lies with the Kazakh side, and Russia is responsible for the development.
In September 2004, the current Representative of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Basekeev Adilbek Alimzhanovich, was appointed.
In 2005, the space forces stationed at Baikonur began the final stage of transferring the facilities they operated to Roscosmos. By the end of 2007, most military space units had left the spaceport; Only about 500 Russian military personnel remained at the cosmodrome.
On September 6, 2007, the Proton-M launch vehicle, after an unsuccessful launch, fell 40 km from the city of Zhezkazgan, and several tons of highly toxic fuel (heptyl) fell onto the soil.

Proton-K launches into orbit
module "Zvezda" for the ISS
from the Baikonur cosmodrome

Kazakhstan plans to create an international center for the space industry on the basis of the Baikonur complex with the transformation of its territory into a special economic zone (SEZ).
In 2008, at Baikonur, the process of disbanding the military units that were part of the fifth state test cosmodrome of the Russian Ministry of Defense and transferring their facilities to enterprises of the Russian rocket and space industry ended. At the end of the year, the Baikonur airport “Extreme” was transferred to the jurisdiction of TsENKI.
A new step in reforming the Baikonur cosmodrome was the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation D. A. Medvedev, signed on December 16, 2008, “On the reorganization of the federal state unitary enterprise “Center for the Operation of Ground-Based Space Infrastructure Facilities” in the form of the merger of KB Motor, KBOM, KBTM, KBTHM , NPF "Kosmotrans", OKB "Vympel", FCC "Baikonur". The reorganization was carried out in order to preserve, develop and optimize the use of intellectual, production and financial resources of the Russian rocket and space industry for the implementation of the federal program for the creation of space and ground systems. Thus, TsENKI became the fourth largest enterprise in the Russian space industry at Baikonur in terms of personnel and importance (along with RSC Energia, TsSKB-Progress and the M.V. Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center).

Baikonur Cosmodrome Museum

Russia considers it promising to transfer manned launches to a new one Russian cosmodrome"Vostochny" in the Amur region (after 2018). Thus, in 2020-2040, automatic spacecraft will be launched from Baikonur (on Soyuz-2, Zenit, Baiterek launch vehicles).
Kazakhstan is currently considering issues of independent operation of Baikonur after the final transfer of launches to the Amur region and termination of the lease of the Baikonur cosmodrome by the Russian Federation (for the period after 2050). According to one unconfirmed version, after 2050 the cosmodrome will be reconstructed into an international space flight center together with the European and Israeli space agencies.
In October 2010, the president of Kazakhstan Gharysh Sapary JSC (a subsidiary of Kazkosmos) stated that the Kazakh side considers it possible for Kazakhstan to begin independent operation of Baikonur as early as 2014.

COSMODROME "PLESETSK"

The Plesetsk cosmodrome (1st State Test Cosmodrome) is located 180 kilometers south of Arkhangelsk near the Plesetskaya railway station of the Northern Railway. Situated on a plateau-like and slightly hilly plain, it covers an area of ​​1,762 square kilometers, stretching from north to south for 46 kilometers and from east to west for 82 kilometers with a center having geographic coordinates of 63 degrees north latitude and 41 degrees east longitude.

Cosmodrome map « Plesetsk»
Launch complexes:
SK 132/1 (RN Kosmos)
SK 132/2 (RN Kosmos)
SK 133 (RN Kosmos)
SK 16 (RN type R-7)
SK 32/1 (RN Cyclone)
SK 32/2 (RN Cyclone)
SK 43/3 (RN type R-7)
SK 43/4 (RN type R-7)
SK 133/3 RN Rokot

The history of the cosmodrome begins with the Resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR dated January 11, 1957, when it was decided to create a military facility with the code name "Angara" - the first formation of intercontinental ballistic missiles "R-7". In the same year, construction of the first launch complexes began.

Cosmodrome "Plesetsk"

When choosing the location of the object, the following were primarily taken into account:
. reach of the territory of a potential enemy;
. the ability to conduct and control test launches into the test site area on the Kamchatka Peninsula;
. the need for special secrecy and secrecy;
. proximity to a railway junction;
. the presence of sparsely populated areas where blocks of the first stages of launch vehicles fall.
In December 1959, construction of the first launcher (site 41) was completed and in January 1960 the first R-7A missile was put on combat duty.

Launcher at the Plesetsk cosmodrome

The decision to use intercontinental ballistic missile launch complexes for satellite launches was made in 1963. By this time, in a short period of time, 15 launchers for four types of missiles: “R-7A”, “R-9A”, “R-16” and “R-16A” were built, put into operation and put on combat duty. The need to use Plesetsk as a cosmodrome was dictated by the need to increase the number of launches of space objects, including military ones.
By June 1964, organizational measures were completed to transform the Angara facility into a Research Test Site, which included the 2nd Directorate for Testing Spacecraft and Launch Vehicles.
The first space launch took place on March 17, 1966, when the Cosmos -112 satellite was launched. From that moment on, intensive operation of the cosmodrome began. In the 70-80s, up to 40% of all world space launches were carried out from it. According to the authors, in total, as of December 15, 1998, 1501 launches of space launch vehicles were carried out from the Plesetsk cosmodrome. Of this number, 49 launches were emergency launches. The number of launches by year and by type of launch vehicle is given in the appendix at the end of the article.
With the increase in the number and types of artificial Earth satellites launched in our country, the process of creating new technical and launch complexes continued. These complexes were intended for the preparation and launch of spacecraft using light-class launch vehicles. In 1967, launches of the Cosmos-2 and Cosmos-3 launch vehicles began, and in 1977, the Cyclone-3.

Launch of the Cyclone-3 rocket from the Plesetsk cosmodrome

At the end of the 80s, the “space” departments of the test site were merged into the Main Center for Testing and Application of Space Facilities, on the basis of which, in accordance with the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of November 11, 1994, the 1st State Test Cosmodrome of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation was created.
The core of the cosmodrome consists of nine launchers:
. launch complexes of the R-7 family of launch vehicles (sites 41, 16, 43/3 and 43/4),
. launch complexes of the Cosmos series launch vehicle (sites 132/1, 132/2, 133),
. LV launch complexes of the “Cyclone” series (sites 32/1, 32/2).
In 1991, site 41 was mothballed and used as a training ground. In 1998, its dismantling began.
Currently, the construction of the launch complex of the Zenit series launch vehicle (site 35) is underway. In the future, it is planned to develop it into a universal ground complex for launching, in addition to Zenit, new light and heavy class launch vehicles, including the promising Angara, Neva, and Yenisei launch vehicles.

Launch from the Plesetsk cosmodrome
satellite "Cosmos -2420"

The preparation of launch vehicles and spacecraft is carried out in seven installation and testing buildings. The cosmodrome also includes Europe's largest oxygen-nitrogen plant, the Plesetsk airfield, two stations for refueling spacecraft propulsion systems, and more than 600 kilometers of transport highways.
In the future, the use of the Plesetsk cosmodrome for the implementation of manned programs is not excluded. According to a number of sources, in the coming years, the Plesetsk cosmodrome will be transferred from the Russian Ministry of Defense to the jurisdiction of Roscosmos, and the operation of its facilities (like the Baikonur cosmodrome) will be entrusted to the Center for Operation of Ground-Based Space Infrastructure Facilities (FSUE TsENKI).

COSMODROME "FREE"

On March 4, 1997 at 05:00 UHF, the launch of the Start 1.2 launch vehicle - with the Zeya spacecraft on board - began the history of the new Russian cosmodrome with the proud name "Svobodny".

Map of the Svobodny cosmodrome
Launch complexes:
SK 5 (RN Start)

For the first time, the question of the need to create and select the location of a new Russian cosmodrome was raised by the Military Space Forces to the leadership of the Russian Ministry of Defense at the end of 1992.
The main reason was that as a result of the collapse of the USSR, the Baikonur cosmodrome found itself outside the territory of Russia. The implementation of domestic space programs turned out to be dependent on another state.
While this is, in principle, permissible in relation to civil space systems, it is excluded in relation to military space systems. The strategic significance of the tasks they solve requires firm guarantees of their solution.
VKS specialists assessed the possibility of transferring spacecraft launches carried out from the Baikonur Cosmodrome to Russian territory in the interests of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Since the transfer of spacecraft launches using light and medium-class launch vehicles to the Plesetsk cosmodrome is fundamentally possible, such work has been planned and is currently being carried out.
But the issue of launching heavy-duty launch vehicles is of particular urgency. Launch complexes for the Proton launch vehicle are available only at Baikonur. The search for a possible solution to this problem without using the territory of a foreign state led to the need to carry out reconnaissance work in 1993 to select a possible location for the launch complex of heavy-class launch vehicles on Russian territory.

Launcher at the Svobodny cosmodrome

Based on the report of the commander of the Aerospace Forces, Colonel General V.L. Ivanov, a directive was issued on February 1, 1993 General Staff on conducting reconnaissance of possible locations for the new cosmodrome. In accordance with it, a reconnaissance commission was formed under the chairmanship of the Chief of Staff of the Aerospace Forces, Lieutenant General S. N. Ermak, which included representatives of the General Staff, Strategic Missile Forces, and Air Force. The Navy, the Far Eastern Military District, the Central Design Institute of the Ministry of Defense, as well as the Russian Space Agency and leading organizations for the main infrastructure facilities of cosmodromes - the Transport Engineering Design Bureau, the Salyut Design Bureau, the General Engineering Design Bureau and the Motor Design Bureau.
The commission did a lot of analytical work, within the framework of which it assessed all possible options for solving the problems of launching heavy-class space launch vehicles from Russian territory, selected possible locations for the launch complex (SC) for heavy launch vehicles; requirements for the insurance system and infrastructure facilities have been developed.
Under the leadership of the commission, the Central Research Institute of the Aerospace Forces carried out targeted research work, which resulted in the development of a methodological apparatus for selecting and evaluating options for locating a cosmodrome.
The complexity and scale of the work done can be judged by the basic requirements and restrictions for the location of the cosmodrome. These include in particular:
. ensuring the widest possible range of required orbital inclinations, including the minimum corresponding to the geographic latitude of the launch site, as well as 63-65°, 71-72°, 81° and 97°;
. efficiency of launching payloads into geostationary orbits;
. the absence of active flight sites for launch vehicles over the territories of foreign states and, above all, over the territories of the United States and Canada, which have a missile attack warning system, as well as over densely populated regions of the country, cities and industrial centers;
. no need to locate areas where the separated parts of launch vehicles fall on the territories of foreign states or in their territorial waters, in neutral waters with active shipping and fishing, near large populated areas of the country, important economic facilities and in the territory of unique state reserves;
. proximity to developed railways and other means of communication (sea, river, road and air);
. availability of production and raw materials;
. the possibility of locating (creating) the necessary infrastructure facilities and its subsequent development.
Based on the analysis of the territory of Russia, the commission came to the conclusion that only the southern regions of the Far Eastern region and Sakhalin Island are potentially suitable for the implementation of the assigned tasks. Despite such a large territory of Russia, there are no places closer to the central part of the country suitable for locating a cosmodrome.
Thus, the region of the south of the European part of Russia, in the eastern part of which the Kapustin Yar test site is located, has been widely developed, which makes it difficult to locate such a large facility as a cosmodrome, and does not meet the requirements for supporting launches: low-inclination launch routes pass over the territory of a foreign state (the Republic of Kazakhstan) , and on high ones - above major cities and industrial centers.
The regions of southern Siberia and Transbaikalia are mostly inaccessible mountainous terrain, and from there it is impossible to launch into orbits with low inclinations, which are necessary, first of all, for geostationary satellites, since in this case the active flight phases of the launch vehicles would pass over the territories of Mongolia and China.
Not all areas of the Far Eastern region also turned out to be suitable for the location of the cosmodrome. Unfortunately, the southern part of the Far Eastern region - the area near the cities of Vladivostok and Ussuriysk - turned out to be unsuitable from a geographical point of view. The geographic latitude of this area (in the range of 43-44°N) is one of the southernmost for the Russian Federation. For comparison, you can see that this is even south of the area Baikonur Cosmodrome by 2-3°. But possible launch azimuths for this area are limited to only 46-59°. When launching at higher inclinations, the routes, and accordingly the areas of impact of the separated parts of the launch vehicles, will pass over the territory of China, and at lower inclinations, including the reference for launches into geostationary orbit, over the territory of Japan.
The area located north of the given area - the Sikhote-Alin mountain range - is practically inaccessible and undeveloped. The minimum necessary conditions for locating a cosmodrome are available only in the range from the left bank of the Amur River and the city of Sovetskaya Gavan, where the Baikal-Amur Mainline ends and all inclinations of rocket launches are provided -carriers, and the areas where their separated parts fall are in the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, which does not require the alienation of territories on land.
Closest to central regions In Russia, in the western part of this region on the Trans-Siberian Railway, there is an area of ​​the city of Svobodny, Amur Region, from where the capabilities of launches to all necessary inclinations are also provided.
The main requirements and restrictions for the location of the cosmodrome are satisfied by the territory of the island. Sakhalin, especially its southern tip in the area of ​​Ozersky and Novikov, located at a latitude of 45°. But this area is extremely remote from the rest of Russia, has no railway connections, and lacks a production and construction base and resources.
Thus, the task of choosing the location of the cosmodrome was reduced to two main areas: Sovetskaya Gavan and Svobodny.
At the final stage of the commission’s work, a final assessment was carried out, with a visit to the areas of the selected places, as a result of which the area of ​​​​the city of Svobodny, Amur Region, was chosen as the location of the new Russian cosmodrome based on the efficiency/cost criterion.

Cosmodrome "Svobodny"

The findings of the reconnaissance commission were reflected in an act approved by the Chief of the General Staff of the RF Ministry of Defense.
One of the factors that determined the choice of the Svobodny area was the presence of significant infrastructure remaining after the reduction of the missile division. At modern prices, its total cost is more than 1.3 trillion rubles.
In accordance with the conclusions of the reconnaissance commission, by the directive of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation dated November 30, 1993, the facilities and part of the military units and subunits of this missile division were transferred to the Military Space Forces, and on their basis the Main Center for Testing and Application of Space Facilities was formed.
At the same time, the issue of the need to expand work on the creation of a cosmodrome was submitted to the Russian Government. Its consideration lasted two years. An additional operational-strategic and feasibility study for the new cosmodrome was compiled. The issue of its creation was considered twice in the State Duma.
A wide discussion on this issue took place in the media and among the population of the Amur region. WITH similar situation The military space forces collided for the first time. The changes that have occurred in the legal and social spheres of life have necessitated greater openness in military activities and public discussion of the issue, including the study of the impact of the cosmodrome on the environment. I had to learn new forms of work on the go. Ultimately it was a success.
Issued on March 1, 1996, the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation on the creation of the 2nd State Test Cosmodrome of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation - the Svobodny Cosmodrome - consolidated the decision, legitimized the cosmodrome in legal terms, and drew a line to the three-year period in discussing the issue. This made it possible to include work on the cosmodrome in the State Defense Order and the Armament Program.
The following tasks were assigned to the Military Space Forces by the Decree of the President of Russia:
. ensure preparation for the launch in 1996-1997 of light launch vehicles “Rokot” and “Start”;
. develop a preliminary design for a cosmodrome with a launch complex for heavy-duty launch vehicles "Angara";
. develop and submit proposals for further work at the Svobodny cosmodrome in the second quarter of 1997.

Preparing the Start-1 launch vehicle
in the installation and testing building

The Rokot launch vehicle complex, previously based at the Baikonur cosmodrome, was recommended for placement at the new cosmodrome at the stage of reconnaissance work, since all the basic necessary infrastructure was available for it. It was created on the basis of ICBMs similar to those with which the missile division based in the Svobodny region was equipped. In order to ensure the deployment of this complex at the cosmodrome, 5 silo launchers and all the equipment necessary for preparing and conducting launches were preserved from destruction.
However, the late decision-making on the cosmodrome, the difficult economic situation in the country and the associated insufficient funding for the Armed Forces determined the slow pace of work on the Rokot complex.
It was possible to implement the project more quickly with the deployment of a complex of launch vehicles of the “Start” family at the cosmodrome. This was facilitated by the absence of the need for capital construction and fruitful cooperation with the Scientific and Technical Center "Complex" of the State Enterprise "Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering". However, a lot of work was done to implement this project. At the cosmodrome, technical and launch positions for launch vehicles and spacecraft were created, a measuring complex of the cosmodrome was deployed as part of the launch and remote measuring points, a communication system, impact fields were organized for the separating parts of launch vehicles, combat crews were trained for preparation and launch, and much more. other. Only the specialists whose hands did it can evaluate the entire amount of work done.
The Start launch vehicle complex, like the Rokot complex and all other space launch vehicle complexes, is of interest for both military and civilian launches. The “Start” complex was created by the Scientific and Technical Center “Complex” on an extra-budgetary basis. Plans for its use envisaged the launch of the American satellite company “Earth Watch” at the end of 1996, intended for remote sensing of the Earth. However, this spacecraft was not ready for launch at the required time and, taking into account the fundamental feasibility of opening a new Russian cosmodrome by launching a domestic rather than a foreign spacecraft, a decision was made to prioritize the launch of the Zeya spacecraft, created by order of the Military Space Forces. This spacecraft, although created by order of the military department, has great importance for the entire astronautics, since it is designed to develop the latest general principles for monitoring the launches of space launch vehicles and controlling spacecraft in orbit.
On March 4, 1997, with the launch of the Start 1.2 launch vehicle with the Zeya spacecraft on board, the history of the Russian Svobodny cosmodrome began. The launch was carried out from a mobile launcher of the “Topol” type.

The reconstruction of the cosmodrome infrastructure, which began in 1999, dragged on for several years due to funding problems.
In 1999, a decree was signed on the construction of a rocket launch complex for the Strela launch vehicle at the cosmodrome. The launch of the complex was postponed several times.
It was planned to launch from the cosmodrome the designed Angara heavy-class launch vehicles, with increased requirements for environmental safety.
At the beginning of 2004, the head of the cosmodrome, Colonel Vladimir Dmitrievich Tyurin (who replaced A.N. Vinidiktov in 2001), stated that there were no plans to launch rockets from the cosmodrome until 2007. According to him, this is due to the fact that the Strela missile system did not pass the state environmental assessment. The problem was heptyl, a highly toxic rocket fuel. True, in March 2005, plans were announced to launch the Israeli satellite Eros-2 from the Free Cosmodrome using the Start-1 launch vehicle in the fourth quarter of 2005.
On the night of April 26, 2006, the Israeli reconnaissance satellite EROS-B1 was launched from the cosmodrome, which is used by the Israeli Ministry of Defense for round-the-clock surveillance of Iran. This is the second Israeli spacecraft launched from the Svobodny cosmodrome. The first, EROS-A1, launched in December 2000. Israel announced its intention to continue space cooperation with Russia - at the end of 2006 - beginning of 2007, the launch of the new EROS-C1 apparatus took place.
According to reports, in June 2005, at a meeting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, it was decided to liquidate the Svobodny cosmodrome as part of the reduction of armed forces due to the low intensity of launches and insufficient funding. It was planned to continue operating only the measuring instruments of the cosmodrome in the interests of the vehicles launching from Baikonur. In January 2007, these plans were confirmed by the commander of the Russian Space Forces, Vladimir Popovkin.
In March 2007, the governor of the Amur region, Leonid Korotkov, announced the closure of the cosmodrome.

COSMODROME "VOSTOCHNY"

Vostochny Cosmodrome is a future Russian cosmodrome, which is planned to be built on Far East in the Amur region, near the village of Uglegorsk, the start of construction was planned for 2010, after the preparation of a feasibility study, design and survey work on the exact location, and determination of the boundaries of the future cosmodrome. The first unmanned rocket launch is scheduled for 2015, completion of construction is scheduled for 2016, and launches of ships with astronauts for 2018. Full commissioning of the cosmodrome is planned for 2020. According to the preliminary plan, they should be completed by 2010.
The creation of the Vostochny cosmodrome dates back to the dissolution of the Svobodny cosmodrome in 2007. By 2010, the entire base of the Svobodny cosmodrome was destroyed, and a new facility will have to be created from scratch.

The “core” of the cosmodrome, its administrative and social infrastructure will be located in the Closed Administrative-Territorial Entity (ZATO) Uglegorsk, and the location of the launch complexes and other facilities will be determined in the cosmodrome project and its development program, which will be officially approved later. This does not exclude the creation of objects related to “Vostochny” outside the Amur region.
The primary task of the new complex is to reduce the load on the Baikonur cosmodrome, but not replace it completely, at least until the end of the lease period - 2050. Equally important to this goal, the construction of a new space complex in the Far Eastern Federal District is a solution to a serious demographic problem in the region. In the report of the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Institute of Demography, Migration and regional development Yuri Krupnov, the Vostochny cosmodrome is considered as the cornerstone for the implementation of the State Program for the resettlement of compatriots.
About 400 billion rubles will be spent on the construction of the Vostochny cosmodrome.
According to the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, 24.7 billion rubles will be allocated from the Russian budget for the first stage of construction of the cosmodrome (over three years): it is planned to build a launch complex, an airfield runway, a plant for oxygen-nitrogen mixtures, and a hydrogen plant .
On August 28, 2010, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited the village of Uglegorsk, where he confirmed plans to build a cosmodrome, but by this time construction had not yet begun.
In 2011, work will begin on the construction of the supporting infrastructure of the cosmodrome, in 2012 - the ground-based space infrastructure. By 2015, it is planned to complete the creation of engineering and social infrastructure and build the first launch pad.
New launch vehicles “Rus” powered by hydrogen fuel will probably be launched from the cosmodrome.
In August 2010, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said that from 2018, Russia will carry out all manned space flights from the Vostochny cosmodrome.
On January 25, 2011, at a meeting of the Presidium of the Government of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin noted: “The concept and program for the creation of the Vostochny cosmodrome is currently being agreed upon.” I think that the resolution of this issue has been delayed - according to preliminary plans, this should have been done earlier, a lot of time is spent on all kinds of bureaucratic approvals. Therefore, I ask, Sergei Borisovich (S. B. Ivanov), you keep this under control. And by the end of February, the construction program for the Vostochny cosmodrome should be adopted by the Government, and construction of the cosmodrome should begin strictly on schedule.”
According to Roscosmos, the cosmodrome has a number of advantages:
. the initial part of the launch vehicle's flight path does not pass over densely populated areas of Russia or over the territories of foreign states;
. the impact areas of the separated parts of launch vehicles are located in sparsely populated areas of Russian territory or in neutral waters;
. The location of the cosmodrome is located close to developed railways, highways and airfields.
It is worth noting the reduction in political risks - Kazakhstan for last years blocked launches several times Russian missiles under various pretexts.
But there are also disadvantages of the Far Eastern cosmodrome (compared to Baikonur):
. the need to build its own airfield for the cosmodrome (while Baikonur has two modern airfields), or to lay a railway line from the cosmodrome to the nearest airfield (for transporting spacecraft);
. some increase in transport costs (both financial and time). Now the main space enterprises are located in Moscow, Samara, Zheleznogorsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory), from there spacecraft, launch vehicles and personnel are delivered to Baikonur by rail and air transport at a distance of 2500 and 1500 km, respectively. If the Vostochny cosmodrome is created, the delivery distance will exceed 3000 km;
. spent rocket parts falling into the taiga can cause forest fires, which are already a serious problem for this region;
. lack of housing and infrastructure for employees. The number of required personnel, including families, can reach 100,000 people. No more than 5,000 people live in Uglegorsk itself, which makes it necessary to actually build a new city, comparable in number of residential buildings and size of infrastructure to the regional center (Blagoveshchensk).
Reducing the load on the Baikonur cosmodrome is a dubious thesis, since currently Baikonur is not very busy with launches, in reality their number can be increased by one and a half to two times, for this there is both infrastructure and personnel.
The cost of renting Baikonur is $115 million, that is, about 3 billion rubles. Thus, for the cost of building Vostochny (at least 400 billion rubles), you can rent Baikonur for more than 130 years (if the rental price does not change and good neighborly relations with Kazakhstan are maintained).
For Russia, the new cosmodrome is:
. independence of space activities across the entire range of tasks to be solved: from scientific and socio-economic to manned programs;
. guaranteed implementation of international and commercial space programs;
. improvement of the socio-economic situation, development of the local industrial base with attraction of investments and private capital in the area of ​​creation and the cosmodrome;
. in the future - reducing costs for renting the Baikonur cosmodrome.

Used 3D animated computer models from the website

April 12th, 2015

On June 2, 1955, the project for the construction of Scientific Research Test Site No. 5 (NIIP-5) was approved by the General Staff of the USSR Ministry of Defense. This day is considered the birthday of the Baikonur complex, which includes the city and the cosmodrome.

How did this name come about? Was the cosmodrome named after the nearest city? Or was the newly built city named after the cosmodrome?

It turns out that at the very beginning of the history of the city and the cosmodrome, neither one nor the other was called Baikonur...

From the memoirs of V.A. Skroban: “The place where I served, the closed city of Leninsk, and the cosmodrome in its vicinity in the Kazakh Tyura-Tam desert were called Baikonur unofficially, for reasons of secrecy. We knew that in fact Baikonur is a remote village to the north, in which there is no cosmodrome. It was necessary for the enemies of the Motherland to think that rocket launches were being carried out there in order to divert attention from the present cosmodrome.”

Imagine! I couldn’t wrap my head around how this legendary name turned out to be a “dummy”!” If you start looking for information on this topic, you will find absolutely NOTHING! And that's why:

“On February 12, 1955, the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR, by a joint resolution, approved the creation of a Scientific Research Test Site. This test site was intended for testing rocket technology capable of both delivering nuclear warheads over vast distances (in particular to the United States) and for exploring outer space, something that humanity has dreamed of since ancient times. The location of the cosmodrome was not chosen by chance. Distance from large highways and railway tracks, distance from the border. From a climate point of view, this area is favorable for rocket launches - more than 300 sunny days a year, little precipitation, low humidity, short winter. The location for the cosmodrome was chosen from three options - North Caucasus, Far Eastern and Kazakhstan. Placing the cosmodrome further south was undesirable due to the location of the routes and the main fall fields of spent stages in China or densely populated areas of Central Asia. The territory of the cosmodrome and its accompanying services was located in a bend of the Syrdarya, in the middle between two regional centers of the Kzyl-Orda region - Kazalinsky and Dzhusaly, near the Tyura-Tam junction. Naturally, all U-2s flying over Kazakhstan, including Powers’ plane, carefully photographed the gigantic construction of a real facility.

To ensure the secrecy of the facility, construction of an imaginary cosmodrome began. On the northern spurs of the Alatau ridge in Kazakhstan there is the village of Boykonyr or, in Russian, Baikonur. In the early 50s, with great difficulty, timber was brought there and a model of the cosmodrome’s launching devices was built from it. As it was during the war, when, to distract enemy bomber aircraft, false airfields with plywood dummies of aircraft were built. There were no roads, no water or electricity supplies there. That is, there was nothing to hide. American reconnaissance aircraft did not pay attention to Baikonur. However, the “cosmodrome” at Baikonur was guarded until the early 70s. All reports in the Soviet press about satellite launches indicated Baikonur as the launch site. Gradually, this name became associated with a real cosmodrome. Although, “so that no one would guess,” this real cosmodrome and the area where the test site was formed in the first half of 1955 had the code name “Taiga.”

Construction work at the training ground began in the second half of the winter of 1955 by military builders under the leadership of G. M. Shubnikov. At first, military builders lived in tents, in the spring the first dugouts appeared on the banks of the Syr Darya, and on May 5 the first permanent (wooden) building of a residential town was laid.

The official date of birth of the city and the test site is considered to be June 2, 1955, when the directive of the General Staff of the USSR Ministry of Defense approved the organizational structure of the 5th Research Test Site and created military unit 11284 - the site headquarters. The training ground and the village received the unofficial name “Zarya”. In 1955, by a joint decision of the Ministry of Communications and the USSR Ministry of Defense, a conditional postal address was established for the military units of the training ground - “Moscow-400, military unit No...”.

During the second half of 1955, construction of wooden administrative and residential buildings (mainly barracks type) continued on Naberezhnaya and Pionerskaya streets; subsequently, the name “Wooden Town” was assigned to this area (the southern part of the city). The total number of civilian and military personnel working at the test site by the end of 1955 exceeded 2,500 people.

In the summer of 1956, construction began on a brick barracks town in the quarter called the “Tenth Site” (now Gagarin Street). Later, this term was often used colloquially to refer to the entire village of “Zarya” (later - the village of Leninsky and the city of Leninsk). At the end of 1956, a new postal address was established for the military personnel of the training ground - “Kzyl-Orda-50” (later it was changed to “Tashkent-90”, which was valid until the end of the 1960s). By the beginning of 1957, the number of personnel at the test site exceeded 4,000 people.

The original project envisaged that the village would be located on both banks of the river, but a powerful spring flood forced the abandonment of this plan after a few years, especially since the construction of a bridge across the river would have required significant financial and time costs. Construction of the village began on the right bank of the river; to protect against flood waters, a special two-meter dam was built in the southern part of the village.

On January 29, 1958, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Kazakh SSR, the village on site 10, which had no name, but was unofficially called “Zarya,” was given the name Leninsky. According to the project, the village was designed for permanent residence of about 5 thousand people. However, thanks to the intensive expansion of experimental testing work carried out at the test site, already at the end of 1959, 8,000 people lived in the Leninsky village, and by the end of 1960 - more than 10,000 people.

In the late 1950s - early 1960s, the village was massively built with three-story brick houses (“Stalinist” type with high ceilings) within the boundaries of the streets Ostasheva - Kommunalnaya - Nosova - Lenina, Nosova - Kommunalnaya - Shubnikova - Rechnaya; Four-story buildings were built - the training ground headquarters and a department store - on Lenin Square.

The residential town received the completely official name “Leninsk” and much later, in the late 90s, it was given its current name. In this connection, a second Baikonur appeared on the map of Kazakhstan. And the 5th NIIP received open name“Baikonur Cosmodrome” (for publications in the press and other purposes) after the first manned space flight - Yu. A. Gagarin, which took place on April 12, 1961, on this day the Battle Banner was awarded to the cosmodrome.

Baikonur from space.

Here, the honored builder of Russia, foreman of the legendary Gagarin Launch, retired colonel Sergei Alekseenko, shares his memories.

Sergei Andreevich, it is clear that the secrecy surrounding the construction of the cosmodrome was terrible. But did you, military builders, know what you were building?

No. They only knew that the Ministry of Defense was creating a missile base to protect its borders and retaliate nuclear strike in the USA in case of war. In the cover legends of the General Staff, it was called “Stadium”. The first builders arrived at the Tyura-Tam station in January 1955. But it was only in September that work began on digging a pit for the first launch. At first there was not enough equipment: some five scrapers, two bulldozers, the same number of excavators, five dump trucks. All. And this is to remove more than one million cubic meters of rock from a pit 50 meters deep in a matter of months! It’s like scooping up the Sea of ​​Azov with a spoon.

And then, from a depth of one and a half to two meters, it was not sand that came out, but scrap clay, which not a single bucket could take. We tried loosening it with jackhammers - it was no use. But various representatives from the authorities, looking at the drawings, were surprised at the “idleness and laziness” of the then foreman. And they drove him so far that, disappointed in his ability to “dig some kind of hole,” he went to the hospital. I then worked at other facilities. I remember thinking: God forbid I end up in a pit. And how I jinxed it: in January 1956, I was appointed as a foreman for the first space launch. So I started Baikonur from scratch and went through the entire construction process. Before signing the act of commissioning of the Gagarin Complex, and then others into operation.

- Have you met with the Chief Designer often?

Certainly. We communicated very closely. So much so that some even dubbed me almost the “court” foreman of Sergei Pavlovich Korolev: according to his commands, I carried out work in the existing installation and testing complex, at the start, etc.

- Have you ever experienced the strong character of the Queen yourself?

He grabbed me by the breasts at the very first meeting. By the way, because of conspiracy they did not name his last name, they simply said: “He will meet with you Chief designer" And it was necessary to meet urgently. We carried out a series of small explosions and suddenly reached the water horizon. As it turned out, the design institute’s drawings were prepared without hydrogeological data. I suggested stopping and starting the construction of the foundation slab at the reached depth. But the customer’s “okay” was needed.

However, Sergei Pavlovich literally began shaking his fist in front of my nose: “No, you will dig a pit for me strictly according to the project, or you will pan for gold very far from here!” I said in my heart: “You were given this depth. A meter more, a meter less - what's the difference? Korolev swore and calmly said: “I cannot agree with this. The rocket jet must have a free path length of at least half the height of the launching rocket. Otherwise, the rocket will not leave the launch site or, having left, will fall nearby. Therefore, I ask: do everything according to the project!” That's when I first realized that we were building after all. Then, of course, there were frictions with Korolev, but they can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Mutual understanding was complete.

- And how did you manage to fulfill Sergei Pavlovich’s request without flooding the pit?

We calculated everything and made two powerful explosion to squeeze out the water and select the rock “dry” to the desired mark. What was the drama? We were forbidden to blow things up “from above.” But we saw no other way out. Acted at your own peril and risk. I was present at the conversation between the head of construction of the cosmodrome, Georgy Shubnikov, and the chief engineer of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, Mikhail Grigorenko: they say, if something happens, we will not put Alekseenko in prison, but we will remove one star from him and demote him in rank.

The first pits were drilled at night, and during the day they were camouflaged with a mound of earth. So that the inspectors do not suspect anything. The first explosion was scheduled for 5 am. And five minutes before him, the demolition foreman came up to me: “Maybe we won’t tear it up, shall we? Well, to hell with this hole - let it stand undigged.” I shook my finger at him and pointed at my watch. And then 20 tons of explosives exploded. The foreman was the first to approach the edge of the pit. When he shouts: “Well done, foreman! No water. We have wiped the noses of academic controllers!”

- You built not only the Baikonur cosmodrome, but also then Plesetsk. Where was it more difficult?

It seems to me that the conditions for the construction of Baikonur were ideal compared to the conditions of Plesetsk. The Kazakhstani climate is excellent for living and construction work. And in Plesetsk? Taiga, off-road and clouds of mosquitoes.

- Which of your meetings with Sergei Pavlovich was most memorable to you?

A year before his death. I was then working in the Ministry of Defense and that day I came to a reception with papers to Mikhail Georgievich Grigorenko, who was already the head of the Main Directorate. And suddenly Korolev comes into the reception room. He shook hands: “What are you doing here?” He told me about “lunar”. “This is my best program,” he says cheerfully. And then I was tormented by problems associated with the preparation of the launch complex for the N-1 rocket, which was designed to be shallowly buried, the so-called “three-lobe”. “Did you allow the depths of later Gagarin launches to be reduced?” — I quickly ask the question. "No". I’m asking about the start itself. “I haven’t seen his project yet,” he answers. “Sergei Pavlovich, do you know that a rocket will not launch from a three-lobe launch? We checked it on a mock-up,” I hurried. "What to do?" - “Design a new launch like the Gagarin one or make a launch tube, as in the mine versions.” “Okay,” Korolev sums up. - I'll call Barmin. I'll figure it out. Let's call you."

Then in the office with Grigorenko we drank dry Georgian wine. Sergei Pavlovich proposed a toast: “Well, guys, let’s have some fun. I wish you happiness!” He drank first and broke the glass on the floor. How he said goodbye to us.

Sergei Andreevich, why, in your opinion, was the N-1 lunar rocket plagued by failures: accidents followed one after another?

I am convinced that the “Lunner” died due to poor gas dynamics of the launch facility. The three-lobe launch of the N-1 lunar program, which the designers insisted on, “economically” reduced the volume of earthworks. But such “economy” masked the absence of the main condition for a normal launch - there was no room for the free passage of the rocket’s gas jet. And she burned herself at the start.

- Is it true that Korolev considered Baikonur the happiest place on earth?

Yes, along with Odessa, Moscow and the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Why? When digging a pit for the “Gagarin” launch, an ancient fire pit was discovered at a depth of 35 meters. Several logs were already covered with silvery efflorescence. We urgently called archaeologists from the nearest city. But they never arrived. Then I put the remains of the fire in a box, and sent one log to the capital. From there, three months later, the answer came: the find is 10-30 thousand years old. Having learned about this, Sergei Pavlovich summarized: “The most important thing is that we are building a structure on the shore of life ancient civilization, which means this place will be happy for us too.” And he put a small coal in a matchbox and took it with him.

- Tell me, didn’t the rocket scientists feel like white bones at the cosmodrome compared to the builders?

Never! We lived in equal conditions: it’s hard for everyone. I felt better, and so did everyone. The chief designer said: “Ground launch facilities are more than a rocket. A rocket without them is metal filled with equipment. And that’s why we treat builders the same way as we treat rocket scientists, because together they do one big thing.”

- Were there any anecdotal incidents in the history of the cosmodrome?

As much as you like. Let's say like this. For 1957, Korolev’s assistant ordered a tank of alcohol - 12 tons for flushing systems and so on. And only 7 tons were used. What to do? After all, they knew that the USSR State Supply Committee would allocate no more “expenses” for the next year. The assistant called a bulldozer, dug a hole near the tank and poured the remaining alcohol into it. They covered it with sand. But someone sniffed it out, raked up the sand... They scooped it up with pots. So at the training ground where prohibition reigned, booze appeared. True, order was restored quickly - the remaining alcohol was simply burned off. And Sergei Pavlovich then sighed for a long time: “What a shame, such goodness goes to the ground!”

Let's read what the Director of the Institute of History of Natural Science and Technology of the Russian Academy of Sciences Baturin Yu.M. writes:

Life in the city, of course, was very tempting for residents of the surrounding villages, but it was still distinguished by modesty. Until the early 1990s, there was not a single bazaar there. Products could only be purchased in stores, and basic products were purchased using coupons. True, in the summer peasants brought and sold vegetables and fruits from their stalls. The bazaar appeared spontaneously in 1991, when there was absolutely nothing left in the stores. This place of the first, then semi-legal trade was called the “Field of Miracles.” On September 26, 1991, the city market was legalized. There were no public toilets in the city until the beginning of the 21st century. There were mountains of garbage on the streets. There were few cars; they served mainly the facilities of the cosmodrome; old buses, colloquially referred to as “cattle carriers,” ran (rather rarely) on only four routes. In the summer, some of the buses were removed from the route and sent to transport residents to their dachas near the Krainy airfield.

By the way, it was difficult to get to the airfield. But it’s even more difficult to buy a ticket to Moscow: there were only two flights a week, Baikonur residents signed up for a month in advance and were constantly on duty at the only ticket office. Cosmonauts and technical specialists flew to Baikonur and back on special, non-scheduled aircraft. Military construction workers have always had a hard time, but after the collapse of the Soviet Union, their living conditions became completely intolerable: the soldiers did not have clean linen, they did not go to the bathhouse for a long time, and even in cold weather they washed themselves on the street ice water; The food began to become completely bad.

And in February 1992, there was a riot of military builders. Thanks to the admonitions of local elders, tragedies were avoided, and the soldiers were sent “on leave”, from which almost no one returned, but they left everyone alone and did not bother them. A year later, the rocket soldiers who were preparing the Proton launch vehicle rebelled - due to the understaffing of the unit, each of them had to do three times more work than they were supposed to. There was a revolt of military construction workers in 2003, and the reason was unexpected. Reports about the construction of the Vostochny cosmodrome, to which Russia allegedly plans to transfer all its launches, including manned ones, have sparked rumors that the Baikonur cosmodrome will soon be closed and soldiers will be sent to serve in Siberia. As a result of the military leaving the cosmodrome, apartments in the city were vacated, many of them with furniture and belongings, since there were very few containers and those leaving abandoned everything just to leave. The abandoned apartments immediately began to be taken over by residents of nearby villages, who sometimes settled in them along with goats and other living creatures. They began to steal plumbing fixtures and gas stoves from empty apartments.

As they say, for this reason, a gas leak and an explosion occurred in one of the houses, which claimed 16 lives. The dormitory, where technical specialists who came on long missions for space programs were accommodated, was nicknamed “Buchenwald” for its unsightly living conditions. When administrative functions in the city were transferred from military to civilian ones, confusion and rampant crime began. At first there was not even direct telephone communication between the Russian and Kazakh police.

Water was supplied according to schedule even to medical institutions. Thermal power plants began to be taken away from the military at the beginning of the heating season, as a result of which in winter the residents of Baikonur were left without heat at all and lived in tourist tents (whoever had them) placed right in the apartment. It seemed that Baikonur was dying. Many specialists left him forever. The situation was saved by a 1994 agreement, according to which Russia leased the spaceport from Kazakhstan for 20 years (it was later extended). A lot of money was allocated for the revival of Baikonur, but they began to be used in the same way as everywhere else in our time: when the city had no funds left to purchase bread, a strange explanation followed that they allegedly went to purchase Belgian ice cream, and then Dutch cheeses and chocolates.

In fact, the money was simply spent in banks.

Today the situation has improved, and Baikonur is now a completely unusual and difficult city: its mayor is appointed by decrees of two presidents at once - Kazakhstan and Russia. Both legislation is in force there - Kazakh and Russian (how? - a mystery, given that they diverge in many critical areas). They work well there law enforcement agencies Kazakhstan and Russia, two courts, two military registration and enlistment offices, two registry offices and two currencies in use.

And most importantly, both citizens of Russia and citizens of Kazakhstan live there. There are no more problems with cold and hot water, electricity, gas, heating. New hotels, houses, hospitals, squares, schools have appeared, where they teach in both Russian and Kazakh languages, and operate sports clubs, a sports and fitness complex was built, by the way, with a 50-meter Olympic swimming pool. New buses were added to the routes, private taxis appeared (taxis charge money from each passenger, even if they are traveling together, for example as a family). Baikonur has come to life and continues to provide space launches. One cannot deny the people of Baikonur a sense of humor, without which it was hardly possible to survive difficult times.

When a monument was erected at the entrance to the city, at the bottom of which miners are depicted emerging from the face, and the stele is crowned by the first satellite, it was immediately given the name “From the Cave to Space.” The city party committee once covered it with a huge shield with in capital letters“KPSS” is an ugly wasteland, and later on the street around the bend they put a shop with large glass display windows. The letters immediately began to be deciphered: “Whoever has a hangover – the glass on the right.” Another famous house with shops looked like this on the left - men's shoes, on the right - women's, and in the middle - a liquor store, which was immediately dubbed "Between the Legs". The only players who did not use this name were the football players who organized the “Fifth Grocery Store Championship” tournament on the field behind the store.

The entire history - Soviet and world - of the space era was also reflected in the folk toponymy of Baikonur. There are microdistricts “Malaya Zemlya” and “Japanese Islands”; in the early 1970s, another microdistrict was called “Damansky”.

Here are a few more legends of Baikonur:

Black shepherd

Baikonur – translated from Kazakh means “rich valley”. This is the name of the area in which the cosmodrome itself is located. The ancient nomads who lived in those desert places had an interesting legend about the Black Shepherd, who built a huge sling from skins, filled it with hot stones and camel fat and threw these stones at enemies who approached his camp. Falling, hot stones and fat hit the enemies, but those who survived fled in horror. In those places where stones fell for a long time nothing grew, and scorched marks remained on the ground. The nomads considered this valley the “navel of the earth.” According to experts, this legend is more than ten centuries old. Now, completely different “burning stones” are flying out of the giant “sling” of the cosmodrome - satellites and rockets. This is how the ancient legend found its reflection in the mirror of modernity.

A freethinker who was exiled to Baikonur.

Was he there? Of course not. This newspaper story appeared in the press in the seventies and generated a serious response from readers who took it at face value. “Moscow Provincial Gazette” allegedly reported in 1848: “The tradesman Nikifor Nikitin is to be exiled to the Kyrgyz-Kaisak steppe, to the village of Baikonur, for seditious speeches about a flight to the moon.” So joked one of the Dnepropetrovsk readers of Izvestia, who in 1974 sent a letter to the editor, in which he enclosed a clipping from the newspaper Dnepr Vecherniy. Later, when the press fuss began, the reader admitted that he had made it all up because he wanted to make a joke. There was no tradesman. There was no link.

And we will remember, and the most interesting The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy was made -

On November 30, 1993, a decision was made to build a new Russian cosmodrome in the Amur region, called Svobodny and put into operation 3 years later. In honor of the 20th anniversary of this event website prepared an overview of the most outstanding spaceports from around the world.

The largest cosmodrome

The largest spaceport on the planet is Baikonur, built in 1957 on the territory former USSR. Now it belongs to Kazakhstan and is used by Russia on a lease basis. The area of ​​the complex, including the city of the same name, is 6717 km².

However Baikonur boasts not only its size. From here the first cosmonaut and the first interplanetary station to land on the Moon were launched. According to 2012 data, the cosmodrome is still the leader in the number of launches – annually it accounts for a third of the world’s “volume”.

The smallest cosmodrome

The US-owned spaceport occupies the smallest area Wallops (Wallops). Three separate sections - the base, the launch complex and the center - are compactly located on just 25 km².

The most expensive spaceport

The Russian cosmodrome currently under construction in the Amur region promises to become the most expensive in the history of world cosmonautics. Oriental. The estimated “opening” date is the end of 2015, the reserved area is 1035 km².

According to preliminary estimates, the creation of a “new Baikonur”, designed to ensure space independence for the Russian Federation, will cost Roscosmos 300 billion rubles.

The most convenient spaceport for launches

The most advantageous position - as close as possible to the equator - for launching satellites into geostationary orbit is occupied by the Brazilian spaceport Alcantara (Alcantara). Due to the energy of the Earth’s rotation, its coordinates are 2°17´ S. 44°23´ W – provide spacecraft with an additional speed of 460 meters per second at launch, which can significantly reduce fuel consumption.

The most controversially located spaceport

The most controversial is the geographical location of the American spaceport ( John F. Kennedy Space Center) on Merritt Island (Florida). On the one hand, there is an economically advantageous proximity to the equator (28°35´06" N, 80°39´0.36" W) and safety-appropriate distance from populated areas. On the other hand, the climate is unfavorable for flights. Tornadoes and tornadoes periodically pass through the territory of the center. And due to increased thunderstorm activity, lightning “attacks” the spaceport more often than any other place in the United States. As a result, the maintenance of a system of powerful lightning rods annually costs NASA a round sum of about $ 3-4 million.

However, in 1969 it was Kennedy Space Center sent the first man to the moon.

The most hospitable spaceport

Since 2009 the corporation Virgin Galactic started accepting applications for flights for non-professionals. Role transport company assigned to a private spaceport (USA, New Mexico).

The space tour program includes preparation and the actual journey to the conventional boundary between space and the Earth’s atmosphere – the Karman Line. The flight lasts 2.5 hours, of which 60 minutes are spent ascending, 6 minutes spent in zero gravity and contemplation cosmic beauty. One can accommodate up to 6 passengers. The cost of unearthly pleasure is $200 thousand. However, if you pay in advance, you will have to wait at least until 2014. To the management Virgin Galactic The date of the first flight, originally scheduled for the end of 2010, has already been postponed.

The most reliable spaceport

The cosmodrome is recognized as the most reliable Kuru (Kourou), located in French Guiana. Of the 192 launches carried out since the opening of the cosmodrome, 186 (about 97%) were successful. In terms of proximity to the equator, it is slightly inferior to Brazil Alcantara– 5°14´21" S. 52°46´15". But the development and modernization of infrastructure Kuru funds as many as 20 European member countries of the European Space Agency.

High level The safety and quality of the equipment attract other clients to the spaceport, including the USA, Japan and Russia.

The most unlucky spaceport

The Australian spaceport leads the sad statistics of unsuccessful launches Woomera (Woomera), opened in 1947 in the area of ​​the village of the same name. During 10 years of active operation - 1964-1971 - 10 out of 24 launch vehicles (about 41%) suffered an accident. In 1976, the unfortunate cosmodrome was closed due to unprofitability.

"Unlucky" Australian spaceport Woomera

Now in the center of the village there is an Exhibition of Military Equipment, where you can see safely landed missiles and planes.

The most “desperate” cosmodrome

Israeli airbase-spaceport Palmachim (Palmachim) is the only place in the world where rockets are launched not to the east. That is, “against” the rotation of the planet. The fact is that the lands to the east of the base are populated and there is a border with neighboring states nearby. So we had to build a “route” in a westerly direction across the Mediterranean Sea. However, 6 out of 8 produced from 1988 to 2010. launches were successful.

Throughout April, the country and the world celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first manned space flight. For this anniversary, Vlast has prepared a reference book, which includes information about 28 operating and decommissioned cosmodromes, their history, infrastructure and features.

* Spaceports are ranked by the date of the first orbital launch or attempt. When calculating the number of successful and unsuccessful launches, suborbital launches and tests of intercontinental ballistic missiles were not taken into account.

Baikonur (Kazakhstan)

Successful launches: 1245

Unsuccessful launches: 114

Baikonur is the most used cosmodrome: in the last two years alone, more than 50 launches have been made from it

Construction of the world's first and largest cosmodrome, Baikonur (5th State Test Site), began in southwestern Kazakhstan in February 1955. Until 1957, it was used to test intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). During the operation of the cosmodrome, several generations of liquid-fueled ICBMs were tested there, which became the basis of the Strategic Missile Forces, as well as 15 types of new launch vehicles (LV). From here the first artificial Earth satellite and the first manned flight into space were launched. Baikonur is still the only Russian cosmodrome from which manned space flights are carried out. Currently, the cosmodrome has 9 launch complexes with 15 installations for launching the Proton, Zenit, Soyuz, Cyclone, Rokot and Dnepr launch vehicles, as well as 4 installations for testing ICBMs. The total area of ​​the cosmodrome is 6717 square meters. km. After the collapse of the USSR, Baikonur went to Kazakhstan. In March 1994, Russia agreed to lease it for a period of 20 years; in 2004, the lease was extended until 2050. By 2009, all facilities of the cosmodrome were transferred from the Russian Ministry of Defense to the civil department - Roscosmos.

Cape Canaveral Air Force Base (USA)

Successful launches: 558

Unsuccessful launches: 64

The US Air Force began using the Cape Canaveral site in Florida for long-range missile experiments in 1949. The location was chosen because of its proximity to the equator, which allows rockets to use the force of the Earth's rotation to accelerate. In 1957, the United States made the first attempt to send an artificial Earth satellite, Vanguard TV3, into space from Cape Canaveral. The launch ended in failure - the launch vehicle exploded upon take-off. Since 1958, rocket launches have been carried out by the US Aerospace Agency (NASA), but the spaceport is owned by the US Department of Defense. From here the Jupiter, Thor, Atlas and Titan rockets flew into space. The first manned launches under the Mercury and Gemini programs were also carried out here. There are 38 launch sites at Cape Canaveral, of which 4 are operational. Currently, Delta II and IV, Falcon 9 and Atlas V rockets launch from the spaceport.

Vandenberg (USA)

Successful launches: 598

Unsuccessful launches: 52

In 1957, the US Air Force took over an armored training center on the California coast with an area of ​​57 square meters. km and converted it into a missile testing site. In 1958, the Thor ballistic missile was launched from the base named after Air Force General Hoyt Vandenberg, and in 1959, the world's first space satellite, Discoverer 1, was launched into polar orbit. In 1972, NASA chose the spaceport as one of two sites for operation ships of the Space Shuttle program. The first shuttle launch from Vandenberg was supposed to take place in 1986, but due to the Challenger disaster, the program was temporarily suspended, and NASA later refused to use the California spaceport. Today, Vandenberg serves as the headquarters of the United States Air Force's 30th Space Wing. Atlas V, Delta II and IV, Falcon 9, Taurus and Minotaur rockets are launched from six launch pads.

Wallops (USA)

Successful launches: 39

Failed launches: 3

In 1945, NASA's predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), began construction of a missile test site on Wallops Island on the East Coast of the United States. Aerodynamic tests of various aircraft took place here. In particular, test flights of the Mercury manned project capsule were carried out with two monkeys as passengers. The first successful launch was carried out on February 16, 1961, when the Explorer 9 research satellite was launched into low-Earth orbit using the Scout X-1 launch vehicle. In 1985, space launches were stopped. In 1998, part of Wallops was leased by the private aerospace corporation Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority for commercial space launches. The first of them took place in December 2006.

Kapustin Yar (Russia)

Successful launches: 84

Unsuccessful launches: 16

The 4th State Central Interspecific Test Site (Kapustin Yar) was founded in the Astrakhan region in 1947 as a testing center for the first domestic ballistic missiles. On February 20, 1956, the R-5 rocket with a nuclear warhead was tested here, and in July of the same year, the world's first launch vehicle with dogs was launched. Since 1961, defense and scientific satellites have been regularly launched from the test site. From 1969 to 1979 it functioned as an international cosmodrome - a participant in the Intercosmos program. In 1988, the need for launches sharply decreased, and space launches from the Kapustin Yar cosmodrome were stopped. Currently, the cosmodrome has an auxiliary role. It houses one stationary launch complex for the Kosmos-3M launch vehicle, which provides launches of space objects in the interests of the Strategic Missile Forces and Air Defense Forces.

Hammagir (France)

Successful launches: 4

Failed launches: 0

The French test site Hammagir was built in 1947 in the Sahara Desert, in Algeria. It was initially used to test and launch tactical and research rockets, and later the Diamant A launch vehicle, which launched the first French satellite A-1 from this test site into orbit in November 1965. Over the next two years, three more geodetic satellites were launched from the spaceport. For these purposes, the test site had four launch complexes, as well as radar and telemetry stations. On May 21, 1967, in accordance with the Evian Agreements concluded by France and Algeria, the official closing ceremony of the cosmodrome took place, all equipment from it was dismantled and taken to France.

Plesetsk (Russia)

Successful launches: 1521

Unsuccessful launches: 58

The Plesetsk Cosmodrome (1st State Test Cosmodrome) was founded in 1957 as the first domestic missile base for the R-7 and R-7A ICBMs. Located 180 km south of Arkhangelsk on an area of ​​1762 sq. km. He began his space activities on March 17, 1966 with the launch spacecraft"Cosmos-112" using the Vostok-2 launch vehicle. The period of greatest activity of the cosmodrome occurred in the 1970-1980s, when up to 40% of the world's launches were made from here. In November 1994, by decree of President Boris Yeltsin, the 1st State Test Cosmodrome of the Ministry of Defense was formed on the basis of the space parts of the test site. In July 2001, the cosmodrome was included in the Russian Space Forces. Currently, it houses launch complexes for all types of domestic light and medium class launch vehicles, the main ones being Rokot, Cyclone-3 and Cosmos-3M.

Uchinoura (Japan)

Successful launches: 27

Unsuccessful launches: 8

Construction of the Uchinoura Space Center on the island of Kyushu (Kagoshima Prefecture) began in 1961 and was completed in February 1962. First space launch from the spaceport took place in 1966 and ended with the loss of the Japanese Lambda 4S launch vehicle and payload due to failure of the fourth stage attitude control system. Three subsequent launches also ended in failure, and only on February 11, 1970, Japan was able to launch its Osumi satellite into low-Earth orbit. On July 3, 1998, the Japanese Mars station Planet-B was launched from the same spaceport. Currently, the cosmodrome, whose area is 51 square meters. km, has two launch complexes (one launch position at each) for launching Lambda and Mu series launch vehicles. At the request of local fishermen, launches from Uchinoura had long been limited to 190 days a year, but in 2010, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency officials agreed to lift these restrictions as of April 2011.

San Marco (Italy)

Successful launches: 9

Failed launches: 0

The only cosmodrome that launches directly from the equator is Sea Launch. It is also the world's first private international spaceport

The naval Italian spaceport San Marco was built in 1964 in Indian Ocean, 5 km from the coast of Kenya. In the 1970s, it was actively used for launching small research satellites using Scout series launch vehicles. The cosmodrome consists of two floating platforms - San Marco and Santa Rita, located at a distance of 500 m from each other. The first contains a launcher and an assembly and testing hangar for assembling and testing missiles; the second contains a launch control post and equipment for monitoring the launch vehicle's flight. In total, over 21 years of operation, nine satellites were launched from the San Marco spaceport (four Italian and American and one British), the last launch took place on March 25, 1988. Since then, the cosmodrome has not been in operation, although the certification period for the equipment installed on it expires only in 2014.

Kennedy Space Center (USA)

Successful launches: 149

Failed launches: 1

In 1962, NASA acquired 560 square meters from the state of Florida. km on Merritt Island. In July, construction began here on the launch center, which after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in November 1963 received his name. In 1965, the vertical assembly building was built, in which the parts of the spacecraft are connected before launch. The main launch site was launch complex N 39 with two launch platforms, built specifically for the Apollo program. From here the heavy Saturn V rockets took off, delivering American astronauts to the Moon in 1969. Since 1981, the complex has been used to launch spacecraft of the Space Shuttle project into orbit. After the US phased out the shuttle in 2007, the spaceport began to be upgraded for the Ares I and Ares V rockets of the new US Constellation manned program. In 2008, the US presidential administration closed Constellation, and the fate of the spaceport remains unclear.

Woomera (Australia)

Successful launches: 2

Unsuccessful launches: 4

The Woomera Proving Ground was built in 1946 under an Anglo-Australian agreement to test controlled aircraft. Located in the central part of South Australia. The first successful launch from it was carried out on November 29, 1967, when the first Australian WRESAT satellite was launched into low-Earth orbit using the American Redstone launch vehicle. The second and currently last successful launch was carried out on October 28, 1971 - the British Black Arrow launch vehicle launched the Prospero satellite into low-Earth orbit. In July 1976, by decision of the Australian government, the spaceport was closed as unprofitable, and the equipment there was mothballed.

Kourou (France, European Space Agency)

Successful launches: 194

Unsuccessful launches: 14

In 1964, the French government chose the coast of French Guiana, 500 km north of the equator, to create its new spaceport. Its construction began in 1965 on the initiative of the French Space Agency. In 1975, after the formation of the European Space Agency (ESA), France invited it to use Kourou for European space programs. Currently, the main launch sites of the spaceport belong to ESA. The facility is guarded by soldiers of the French Foreign Legion. The main specialization of the cosmodrome is commercial launches of geostationary satellites using the European Ariane V launch vehicle. In 2007, work began on the construction of launch sites for Russian Soyuz-2 rockets at Kourou. Since then, the expected dates for the first launch of the Soyuz have been repeatedly postponed; according to the latest data, it is scheduled for August 2011.

Jiuquan (China)

Successful launches: 46

Failed launches: 5

The first and largest Chinese spaceport, Jiuquan, was opened on October 20, 1958 in the Badan-Jilin Desert. Ballistic missile tests were carried out here in the 1960s medium range, as well as launches of missiles with nuclear warheads. In 1970, China launched its first satellite, Dongfanghong-1, from this spaceport using the Long March launch vehicle. In November 1999, Jiuquan became the launch pad for China's first unmanned spacecraft, the Shenzhou. On October 15, 2003, the first Chinese astronaut Yang Liwei was sent into orbit from the cosmodrome on the Shenzhou-5 spacecraft. Since then, Jiuquan has been one of the three cosmodromes from whose launch pads manned spacecraft are launched. On its territory of 3 thousand square meters. km there are two launchers for various modifications of the Long March launch vehicle, which are assembled here. In April 2011, the country's authorities announced that the cosmodrome would soon be open to tourists.

Tanegashima (Japan)

Successful launches: 48

Failed launches: 2

The second and largest spaceport in Japan, opened in 1969, is located on the coast of Tanegashima Island (Kagoshima Prefecture). Since 1975, it has been used to launch scientific, telecommunications and meteorological apparatus. In 1998, due to the growing threat from the DPRK, the country began developing a space reconnaissance system, which resulted in the launch of the first Japanese spy satellites IGS-1a and IGS-1b from Tanegashima in 2003. In September 2009, the first Japanese unmanned space truck, HTV, set off from here to the ISS. Currently at the cosmodrome, whose area is 97 square meters. km, there are two launch pads from which heavy Japanese launch vehicles H-2A and H-2B are launched. Due to the proximity of the cosmodrome to the traditional tuna fishing area, launches from it are mainly limited to January-February and August-September.

Satish Dhawan Space Center (India)

Successful launches: 32

Unsuccessful launches: 9

The Satish Dhawan Space Center is located on the island of Sriharikota in the Bay of Bengal in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Owned by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). On July 18, 1980, India's first satellite, Rohini, was launched from here, making the country a space power. On October 22, 2008, the Chandrayaan-1 research vehicle was launched from the cosmodrome into lunar orbit, after which India became the third Asian country after Japan and China with its own lunar program. The spaceport has two launch pads for launching Indian launch vehicles PSLV and GSLV. In addition, there is a tracking station, two installation and testing complexes, stands for testing rocket engines, as well as a plant for the production of rocket fuel.

Xichang (China)

Successful launches: 57

Unsuccessful launches: 4

In 1967, Mao Zedong decided to begin developing his own manned space program. The first Chinese spacecraft, Shuguang-1 (Project 714), was supposed to send two astronauts into orbit already in 1973. Especially for him, construction of a cosmodrome began in Sichuan province, near the city of Xichang. The location of the launch site was chosen based on the principle of maximum distance from Soviet border. After funding for the project was cut in 1972, and several leading scientists were repressed during the cultural revolution, Project 714 was closed. Construction of the cosmodrome resumed a decade later, ending in 1984. Today, the cosmodrome with two launch complexes is used to launch satellites, including commercial and foreign ones, into geostationary orbit using the Long March-3 (CZ-3), CZ-2E, CZ-3A, CZ-3B launch vehicles. During the launch, the population living within a radius of 5 km from the cosmodrome is evacuated to a safe distance. In 2007, China's first anti-satellite missile was launched from the spaceport.

Taiyuan (China)

Successful launches: 32

Failed launches: 2

Construction of the Taiyuan test site began in the northwestern Chinese province of Shanxi in 1966. Since 1968, it has been used to test medium-range ballistic missiles. In September 1988, the first Chinese polar weather satellite was launched from Taiyuan using the Long March 4 launch vehicle, after which the test site began to be actively used for launching satellites into sun-synchronous and circumpolar orbits. The area of ​​the cosmodrome is 375 square meters. km. Orbital launches are carried out from two launch complexes using various modifications of the Long March launch vehicle. The cosmodrome is located at an altitude of 1500 m above sea level, which provides favorable weather conditions for launches.

Palmachim (Israel)

Successful launches: 6

Failed launches: 3

The Palmachim air base is located in the coastal area Mediterranean Sea, 15 km south of Tel Aviv. In 1988, Israel independently launched the first spy satellite of the Ofek series from this base, becoming the eighth space power. Since then, Palmachim has been regularly used for launches of ballistic missiles and spacecraft. Currently, there is a launch complex for the launch of the Shavit rocket, with the help of which Israel puts military satellites into orbit. Based on geopolitical conditions, launch vehicles are launched from the cosmodrome not in the usual eastern, but in the western direction in order to avoid their flight over the territory of Arab states.

Al Anbar (Iraq)

Successful launches: 1

Failed launches: 0

The Al-Anbar launch complex is located 50 km west of Baghdad. On December 5, 1989, the first and only launch of the prototype Al-Abid launch vehicle (a modified Soviet R-11 ballistic missile) took place from here. According to some data, the launch vehicle reached maximum height 25 km, according to others - the third stage of the carrier entered orbit and made six orbits around the Earth. A TASS report from this date stated that Iraq had begun implementing a space program, which included the creation of a more powerful launch vehicle and its own spacecraft by the end of the 20th century. In January 1991, the Al Anbar complex became one of the main targets of the US Air Force during the military operation Desert Storm, as a result of which it was subjected to significant damage and has not been used since then.

Svobodny (Russia)

Successful launches: 5

Failed launches: 0

The issue of creating a new cosmodrome in Russia to replace Baikonur, which was transferred to Kazakhstan, has been discussed since 1992. On March 1, 1996, President Boris Yeltsin signed a decree on the formation of the 2nd State Test Cosmodrome of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (Svobodny) in the Amur Region on the basis of the disbanded 27th Missile Division of the Strategic Missile Forces. For space launches there were five silo launchers of the RS-18 ICBMs and the Start-1 launcher delivered from Plesetsk. The first launch from the cosmodrome took place in March 1997, when the Zeya military apparatus was launched into orbit using the Start-1 rocket. In 1999, reconstruction of the cosmodrome began, but due to problems with financing it dragged on for several years. As a result, only four more satellites were launched from Svobodny (two Israeli, American and Swedish). In March 2007, the Ministry of Defense decided to close the cosmodrome due to its economic unprofitability.

Alcantara (Brazil)

Successful launches: 0

Failed launches: 3

The Alcántara Space Center is located in the state of Maranhão in northeastern Brazil. Since 1997, there have been three attempts to launch the VLS-1 launch vehicle, developed in the 1980s, from here. During the first launch in November 1997, one of the four boosters did not start. On December 11, 1999, the second stage engine of the launch vehicle failed, and it had to be blown up 200 seconds after launch. On August 22, 2003, three days before the next scheduled launch, a launch vehicle exploded, which led to the destruction of the launcher and the death of 21 people. Nevertheless, the country's authorities continue to develop the space program, planning to use Alcantara as an international commercial spaceport in the future. In particular, since 2002, Brazil has been developing the Cyclone-4 launch vehicle with Ukraine, the first launch of which from Alcantara is scheduled for mid-2012.

Musudan (North Korea)

Successful launches: 0

Failed launches: 2

Construction of the Musudan test site on the east coast of North Korea began in 1982. Since 1984, medium-range ballistic missiles of the Hwasong and Nodong series have been tested here. On August 31, 1998, North Korea attempted to launch its first satellite, Gwangmyeonsong-1, into orbit using the Taepodong launch vehicle. The first stage of the rocket fell into the Sea of ​​Japan within the Russian exclusive economic zone, and the second stage overshot Japan and crashed into the Pacific Ocean. North Korea then announced the successful launch of its first national satellite, but the US Space Command denied this information. On April 5, 2009, the Koreans committed new try launch of the spacecraft using the Taepodong-2 rocket, but it also failed. Washington, Seoul and Tokyo considered both of these launches to be tests of an ICBM capable of striking Alaska or the Hawaiian Islands, after which they announced increased surveillance of the spaceport.

"Sea Launch" (Russia, USA, Norway, Ukraine)

Successful launches: 27

Failed launches: 3

Negotiations on the creation of an international commercial floating cosmodrome, Sea Launch, began in 1993. In 1995, the Sea Launch company was registered in California and became the operator of this project. 40% of its shares are owned by Boeing, 25% by the Russian state-owned RSC Energia, 20% by the Norwegian Aker, 15% by the Ukrainian Yuzhnoye Design Bureau and Yuzhmash Production Association. Since 1999, satellites have been launched from a floating platform in the equatorial waters of the Pacific Ocean using a Russian-Ukrainian Zenit-3SL launch vehicle. The marine segment of the complex consists of two vessels - the Odyssey launch platform (former oil production platform) and the assembly and command vessel. In 2009, Sea Launch encountered financial difficulties and filed for bankruptcy. In 2010, the company agreed with RSC Energia to exit bankruptcy proceedings. After the reorganization, Energia's subsidiary Energia Overseas Ltd will receive 85% of Sea Launch shares, the remaining share will be distributed among creditors. Launches are planned to resume in 2011.

Kodiak (USA)

Successful launches: 2

Failed launches: 0

In 1991, the state of Alaska established the Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation, deciding to capitalize on the state's convenient geographic location, which allows it to launch satellites into polar orbits. The company planned to build a spaceport for commercial launches on Kodiak Island. The idea did not find funding for a long time, until in 1997 the US Air Force became interested in creating a spaceport in Alaska. The command considered that the new launch site would be perfect for launching training targets that would simulate an attack from China and North Korea, and allocated $18 million for the project - about half the required amount. The first test launch for the Air Force was carried out in 1998. To date, the Air Force has launched 18 target missiles from Kodiak. The first commercial launch took place in 2001. The Athena I rocket launched NASA's Starshine 3, Sapphire, PCSat and PICOSat satellites into orbit.

Reagan Proving Ground (USA)

Successful launches: 2

Failed launches: 3

After the end of World War II, the US Navy established a military base on Kwajalein Atoll. Pacific Ocean gas station. In 1959, the US Army began testing anti-missile and anti-aircraft systems here as part of the Nike-Zeus program. The military leased 11 of the atoll's 95 islands, building a mission control center, missile launch pads and tracking stations. In 1999, the landfill with a total area of ​​more than 1.9 million square meters. km was named after former US President Ronald Reagan. Space launches from the site were started by the American corporation SpaceX, which decided to take advantage of the existing infrastructure and built a commercial spaceport on the island of Omelek for its Falcon 1 launch vehicles. Only the fourth launch, in September 2008, was successful, becoming the first successful orbital flight in history that was fully financed by a private individual.

Yasny (Russia)

Successful launches: 4

Failed launches: 0

The 13th Missile Division test site in Yasny (Orenburg region) has been used for space launches since 2006. All launches are carried out within the framework of the Dnepr conversion program, which provides for the use of RS-20 rockets removed from combat duty to launch satellites into orbit. The cosmodrome is operated by the Russian-Ukrainian space company Kosmotras, whose customers are space agencies and companies from the UK, USA, Germany, France, Japan and other countries. Since 2006, four launches have been made from Yasny with satellites from the USA, Thailand, Sweden and France. In May-June 2011, the Ukrainian Earth remote sensing satellite Sich-2 is planned to be launched from the Yasny cosmodrome.

Semnan (Iran)

Successful launches: 5

Failed launches: 1

The first and so far only Iranian spaceport, Semnan, is located in the north of the country, 60 km from the city of the same name. The launcher installed at the test site is designed to launch light-class launch vehicles. On February 4, 2008, Iran launched the Kaveshgar-1 test rocket (a variant of the Shahab-3 single-stage medium-range ballistic missile), which reached low-Earth orbit at an altitude of 250 km. Iran launched the first Omid satellite on our own February 2, 2009 in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution of 1979. After that, the country sent several more capsules with worms, mice and other living organisms into orbit. In December 2010, the country's authorities announced plans to build a second spaceport due to Semnan's "certain geographic limitations."

Naro (South Korea)

Successful launches: 0

Failed launches: 2

Construction of the Naro Space Center on the South Korean island of Venarado began in 2003. Currently, the complex includes buildings of research centers, one launch pad, as well as optical and radio control systems for the flight of rockets and satellites. On August 25, 2009, the first space launch took place from here, which ended in failure. The South Korean KSLV-I launch vehicle, created with the participation of the Russian State Research and Production Center named after Khrunichev, was unable to launch a scientific satellite into the intended orbit due to problems with the nose fairing. The second launch of a South Korean satellite on June 10, 2010 ended with the explosion of the launch vehicle 136 seconds into the flight. According to one version, a malfunction occurred in the operation of the first stage, manufactured in Russia. In October 2010, Moscow and Seoul agreed to carry out the third launch of the KSLV-I rocket, which should launch a scientific apparatus weighing up to 100 kg into low-Earth orbit. The launch is expected to take place in 2012.