Baikonur Cosmodrome
Baikonur Cosmodrome is unique in that it was and remains the world’s first and largest launch site for spacecraft. Once all-Union, and today located in the Kyzylorda region of Kazakhstan, between the village of Dzhusaly and the city of Kazalinsk, near the village of Toretam, Baikonur is the leader in the number of space launches.
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The launch of the first artificial satellite of the Earth, the flight of the first man into space and subsequently other manned spacecraft – “Vostok”, “Soyuz” and “Voskhod”, orbital stations “Mir” and “Salyut” – all this took place here, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. From here the reusable system “Energia” – “Buran”, artificial satellites of our planet and spacecrafts, which have been orbiting the solar system to this day, were also sent into Earth orbit.
Video: Baikonur
” title=”YouTube video player” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” allowfullscreen>%https://www.youtube.com/embed/odqhtZSOUTo” title=”YouTube video player” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” allowfullscreen> Contents- Highlights
- History of Baikonur Cosmodrome
What to see in Baikonur - For tourists
- Hotels and accommodation
- How to get there
Highlights
Over the past half-century, more than half of all spacecraft launches in the world have been carried out from this cosmodrome, which the entire Soviet Union was rightly proud of, this is nothing less than 1,500 units. Thanks to Baikonur, the USSR took a leading position in the development of space science and exploration of near-Earth space, leaving behind the nearest competitor – the United States. In addition to the first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, more than a hundred of his colleagues, 62 of whom were citizens of foreign countries, paved the way to the planet’s orbit from here.
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For a long time, the Baikonur Cosmodrome was a closed military facility. After the collapse of the once united country and the lifting of the Iron Curtain, it became one of the most popular tourist attractions of independent Kazakhstan. And today everyone has a unique opportunity to get to both manned and unmanned launches of spacecrafts. Excursion programs for tourists usually include sightseeing tours of the cosmodrome and the “Gagarin Launch”, a visit to the Museum of the History of Cosmonautics, memorial houses of the outstanding designer Sergei Korolev and Yuri Gagarin himself.
.Visitors to the Baikonur Cosmodrome can also tour the launch sites and the most famous places on its territory. These include the assembly and test buildings of RSC Energia and Proton, as well as the Proton and Soyuz complexes. People who are in love with space, of course, are saddened that such tours to Baikonur are infrequent, as the launches of spacecraft are rare. However, if travelers are still lucky enough to be here on such a day, it is unlikely to forget what they have seen, as any space launch is a grandiose event!
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.’ Monument to S.P. Korolev in Baikonur
History of Baikonur Cosmodrome
The annals of Baikonur Cosmodrome are usually counted down from 1957, when the very first rocket was launched. True, it was not a space rocket, but was an intercontinental ballistic, model “R-7”. The launch of this experimental design can hardly be called a success, as it flew only 400 meters and would hardly reach other continents. But on August 21 of the same year, the above model was re-launched. This launch was a success, the designers did achieve the desired result.
.A landmark for the Baikonur Cosmodrome and the entire Soviet and world cosmonautics was August 19, 1960. On that day, for the first time in the history of mankind, living beings flew into outer space – the famous dogs Belka and Strelka. They became passengers of the legendary Sputnik-5. This flying vehicle made 17 revolutions around the Earth and landed exactly in the specified area. Our lesser brothers withstood the space overloads perfectly and survived. It was a real success!
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Such a successful flight inspired Soviet designers for new achievements, and a year later the fateful decision was made to send the first man into space. The choice fell on Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin, who on April 12, 1961, honorably fulfilled the mission entrusted to him. On the ship “Voskhod”, launched from Baikonur, Gagarin reached Earth orbit and was able to literally look at our planet from the outside. Thanks to the fact that the aircraft on which the first cosmonaut broke away from the Earth’s gravity was properly designed and proved to be reliable, he returned to Earth unharmed and with great triumph.
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It is sad to say it, but not only happy, momentous, but also sad events are connected with Baikonur Cosmodrome. Two years after the first man flew into space, there was a major fire here, which killed seven military test pilots. This incident largely predetermined the fate of the cosmodrome for the next 20 years. During these two decades the cosmodrome lived a quiet, unnoticeable life. It seemed that nothing significant was happening there.
The year 1987 turned out to be a turning point: on May 15, the Energia launch vehicle – the first super-heavy class rocket – was launched. On November 15 of the following year, the first launch of a rocket-space transportation system with the same name, but already reusable, took place. However, this launch was not only the first, but also the last: since then, such rocket-space systems have not been sent into space from Baikonur again.
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Rockets and other structures that were launched from the famous cosmodrome were designed to perform a variety of tasks. In addition to the actual launches, 38 different types of rockets were tested here, and spacecraft – about 80 types. Over a hundred intercontinental ballistic missiles were launched from Baikonur.
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When the Soviet Union ordered to live long, many people thought that the world-famous cosmodrome, the pride of domestic cosmonautics, would end its chronicle together with the country that created it. However, pessimistic forecasts did not come true. 1991, the year of the USSR collapse, became the beginning of a new history of Baikonur, although in the period up to 1993 the number of spacecraft launches from here decreased significantly. Because of this, many test pilots, officers, scientists and ordinary workers were forced to leave the cosmodrome: there was no longer the same amount of work for them.
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The international legal status of the cosmodrome was not entirely clear, because since 1991 it had been in the territory of a newly independent state – the Republic of Kazakhstan. Its government at that time did not take any initiatives to ensure the further operation of this strategic facility. Russia, as a successor state of the Soviet Union, undertook all the worries – one could say, out of inertia. Our country could afford such expenses, while the local authorities of Baikonur city did not have sufficient funds to ensure proper functioning of both the cosmodrome and the settlement. Heating was cut off here en masse. The winter of 1993-1994 was especially hard, when the local population was forced to leave their apartments, as the temperature in them at times dropped below zero.
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A turning point was 1994, when Kazakhstan officially leased the Baikonur Cosmodrome to Russia. Of course, not for free. Our country pays quite a substantial sum for it, but it did not refuse to operate the facility, because Baikonur was and still is the only place at the disposal of the Russian Federation from where we can launch spacecraft into Earth orbit and conduct manned space flights. For a state like Russia – the largest in terms of territory and having the status of a nuclear power – this is vital.
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On July 6, 1999, disaster struck again: there was an accident on the Russian military communications satellite Raduga. This prompted the Kazakh authorities to temporarily ban space rocket launches from the cosmodrome. The neighboring country’s decision contradicted the Baikonur lease agreement, and when the Russian side compensated for the damage, rocket launches resumed.
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In 2004, at one of the meetings of Russian and Kazakh presidents Vladimir Putin and Nursultan Nazarbayev, an agreement was reached on further cooperation between the two countries to maximize the use of the cosmodrome’s capabilities. The main outcome of the negotiations was the extension of the lease not only of the cosmodrome, but also of the city of Baikonur until 2050, while maintaining the same amount of rent. According to the agreements reached, the city and the cosmodrome of the same name will be managed by the administration, the head of which will be appointed by a joint decree of the presidents of Russia and Kazakhstan. For the period of the lease, the legislation of the Russian Federation is in force in the city and the cosmodrome, and in accordance with it, the settlement is granted the status of a city of federal significance..
Baikonur was home to units of the Russian Air and Space Forces, which already in 2005 began the final phase of transferring to Roscosmos all the facilities previously under their jurisdiction. By the end of 2007, most of the military-space units had left the cosmodrome and today only about 500 Russian servicemen remain there.
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And lastly, why the cosmodrome was named Baikonur. It owes this name to the Soviet secret services, who sought to confuse their Western adversaries into thinking it was a city with the same name. With the ease of the media, it has become so ingrained that readers, listeners and viewers primarily associate it with the cosmodrome rather than the city.
.What to see at Baikonur
The tourist appeal of the cosmodrome, which occupies a gigantic rectangular territory of 70 by 90 kilometers, is related to the opportunity to watch manned and unmanned launches of spacecraft. To see this spectacle with their own eyes is so interesting and exciting that for the sake of such a chance people are ready to overcome an additional 350 kilometers that separate Baikonur city and the cosmodrome itself. And this is not to mention the great distances tourists leave behind their shoulders, coming here from all over the world.
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There are more than one and a half thousand kilometers of transport highways: road and railways, laid on the territory of the cosmodrome. Launch complexes for launching launch vehicles are represented by nine different types. There are four launchers for launching intercontinental range ballistic missiles. Special buildings have been built for the preparation that precedes all launches. Baikonur has a number of other buildings, including underground shelters. One of the oldest structures is the so-called site No. 1, better known as “Gagarin’s Start”. It was from here that Yuri Gagarin went into Earth orbit. After him, many more space launches – over 600 – were made from this site.
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What of all this is shown at the famous cosmodrome to tourists? Guests examine its launch sites, buildings, where various devices are assembled and tested, with interest to study the unique collections of local museums and familiarize themselves with monuments to the conquerors of space. It is especially interesting to observe the process of taking out the rocket, its installation on the launch pad. Many people, even if they are not journalists, try to get to the press conferences of the crews. It is especially touching to take part in seeing off the astronauts. And the launch of the spacecraft itself is the most unforgettable spectacle! To see it live is a real luck, so it remains in the memory forever. But it should be remembered that excursions of this kind are organized infrequently, so applications for participation in them should be submitted in advance.
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But even if you don’t get directly to the launch of the spaceship, don’t be upset. The city of Baikonur has its own attractions, which, as you realize, are also somehow related to the space industry. If you are interested in how the cosmodrome was built and how it is developing nowadays, then be sure to take a look at the Museum of Cosmonautics History, located in the city Palace of Culture. For example, the hall of labor and military glory stores personal belongings of the cosmodrome pioneers who took part in the Great Patriotic War. Here you will learn about the exploits of the builders of the cosmodrome, about the military tests conducted here.
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In the museum you can also see fragments of spaceships – note, authentic – as well as spacesuits and flight suits, on which the conquerors of space left their autographs. There are also samples of space food – in a word, everything without which life and work in the Earth orbit would be impossible. The exhibition hall of the museum is of no less interest, where expositions on the theme of space exploration are often held.
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In the city of Baikonur, at the intersection of Korolev and Nedelin streets, there is a mock-up of the Soyuz launch vehicle, which is one of its calling cards. This sculpture was unveiled back in 1980 to commemorate the next anniversary of the cosmodrome’s commissioning.
.An interesting attraction is also the Cosmonaut Hotel. First, in its rooms stayed almost all the famous cosmonauts. Secondly, the Cosmonauts Alley starts from its building. Trees on it were planted by the pilots of spaceships right before the launch. A real historical relic is the first tree – it was planted by Yuri Alexeyevich Gagarin himself.
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In 1975, a majestic monument appeared in Baikonur – the stele “Science and Space”. The structure, which quickly became a popular attraction, appeared to commemorate the Soyuz-Apollo experimental flight. This stele is not the only one in the city: the second one bears the name “Baikonur” and serves as a reminder of the date of its foundation, and the third one is located on Korolev Avenue and is dedicated to the pioneers of the cosmodrome.
.There are many monuments to prominent figures of space exploration here, which is quite logical. Tourists always stop near the bust of Sergei Pavlovich Korolev and the monument to the first cosmonaut of the Earth. The sculptor depicted Gagarin with his invariable “trademark” smile and hands raised to the sky. There is a monument in the city with a tragic meaning, dedicated to the numerous victims of the 1960 disaster, which took place during the preparation of the launch of the R-16 rocket. It is installed on Gagarin Avenue, near the mass graves. Every year on October 24, wreaths are carried to them: on this day the victims of 1963 are also remembered, as well as all those who laid down their lives in the name of space exploration.
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There is a street Arbat in Baikonur, it is also pedestrian and is a well-groomed area for walking and comfortable rest with many benches. On the same street there are cafes and stores, where not only residents of the city, but also many tourists enjoy spending time and shopping.
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Avid travelers who come to these places, do not limit their interest only to the cosmodrome and the city. They also enjoy getting acquainted with the life of indigenous peoples, travel to the vast steppe expanses with a real Kazakh yurt, with pleasure join the national cuisine and even find an opportunity to fish, and at night. Thus, each tourist, if desired and competent organization of his trip, has the opportunity to combine a trip to the Baikonur Cosmodrome with immersion in the culture, customs and life of the inhabitants of the Kazakh steppes.
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Tourists to Note
To get to the Baikonur Cosmodrome, you need to go through some red tape, that is, to collect the necessary package of documents. And also – to save up money, because the tour to the holy of holies of the domestic space industry is not cheap: about 100 thousand rubles.
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It is possible, as an option, to settle in the center of the cosmodrome itself. Here is a hotel built back in 1967 with an unusual name “Seven Winds”. At that time here lived exclusively “selected”, that is, involved in the testing of rockets employees. Now these apartments are available to everyone.
.How to get there
There are direct flights from Moscow to Baikonur three times a week. Airplanes depart from Domodedovo and land at the airport Kraynem. Or you can buy tickets to Kyzylorda and then get to the cosmodrome by bus or train.
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You can also get to Baikonur by rail from Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan (destination is Toretam station), with a transfer in the same Kyzylorda. From Almaty there are also direct railroad flights to Toretam station, travel time – a little more than a day.
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