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, erected in 1957 on the territory of the 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. The role of the transport company is 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 contemplating the beauty of space. 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 until at least 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 an Exhibition has been organized in the center of the village military equipment, where you can see rockets and planes landing safely.
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.
Baikonur. Soyuz rocket launch position. COSMODROME (from cosmos and Greek dromos running, a place for running), a complex of structures, equipment and land intended for the assembly, preparation and launch of spacecraft. In 1946 there was... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
COSMODROME- (from cosmos and Greek dromos running, a place for running), a complex of structures, equipment and land intended for the assembly, preparation and launch of spacecraft. In 1946, the first cosmodrome in the USSR, Kapustin Yar, was founded, in 1955... ... Modern encyclopedia
cosmodrome- star harbor, utinoura, space harbor, plesetsk, wallops, changchenjie, tanegashima, baikonur Dictionary of Russian synonyms. cosmodrome noun, number of synonyms: 9 Baikonur (2) ... Dictionary of synonyms
COSMODROME- (from cosmos and Greek dromos running, a place for running), a complex of structures and technical means for assembling, preparing and launching spacecraft. Includes a technical position, launch complex and service facilities (measuring points... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
COSMODROME- COSMODROME, huh, husband. A complex of structures and technical means for launching spacecraft, artificial Earth satellites and other spacecraft. | adj. cosmodrome, oh, oh. Dictionary Ozhegova. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949… … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary
COSMODROME- a complex of structures, technical means and alienated (for security purposes) land zones, designed for the assembly, preparation for launch and launch of spacecraft. K. includes a technical position, a launch complex... ... Big Polytechnic Encyclopedia
cosmodrome- a specially prepared area with structures and equipment placed on it for assembling, testing and launching launch vehicles with spacecraft. The modern cosmodrome includes installation, testing, launch and... ... Encyclopedia of technology
Cosmodrome- (from Cosmos and Greek drómos running, place for running) a complex of structures, equipment and land intended for receiving, assembling, preparing for launch and launching space rockets. Some K. include land plots for falling... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
cosmodrome- A; m. [from Greek. kosmos the universe and dromos a place to run; running] A complex of structures and technical means designed for the assembly, preparation and launch of spacecraft. * * * cosmodrome (from space and Greek drómos running, place... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary
Books
- Cosmodrome "Plesetsk". Years and Fates, V. Bukrin, N. Prokopenko. This book, dedicated to the fortieth anniversary of the creation of the first objects of the future Plesetsk cosmodrome, was written by V. Bukrin and N. Prokopenko. It is about the main asset of the cosmodrome - its people... Buy for 1300 rubles
- Cosmodrome. Astronauts. Space, A. Romanov. "Sunrise", "Soyuz". The probes “Zond”, “Electron”, “Meteor”, “Proton”, and a whole series of Earth satellites “Cosmos” and “Molniya” have visited the vastness of space. Many secrets of the Universe have been revealed, and it begins...
On March 4, 1997, the first space launch took place from the new Russian Svobodny cosmodrome. It became the twentieth operating cosmodrome in the world at that time. Now, on the site of this launch pad, the Vostochny cosmodrome is being built, the commissioning of which is scheduled for 2018. Thus, Russia will already have 5 cosmodromes - more than China, but less than the United States. Today we will talk about the world's largest space sites.
Baikonur (Russia, Kazakhstan)
The oldest and largest to this day is Baikonur, opened in the steppes of Kazakhstan in 1957. Its area is 6717 sq. km. In the best years - the 60s - it carried out up to 40 launches per year. And there were 11 launch complexes in operation. Over the entire period of the cosmodrome’s existence, more than 1,300 launches were made from it.
According to this parameter, Baikonur is the leader in the world to this day. Every year, an average of two dozen rockets are launched into space here. Legally, the cosmodrome with all its infrastructure and vast territory belongs to Kazakhstan. And Russia rents it for $115 million a year. The lease agreement is due to end in 2050.
However, even earlier, most Russian launches should be transferred to the Vostochny cosmodrome, currently under construction in the Amur region.
US Air Force Base at Cape Canaveral (USA)
Has existed in the state of Florida since 1949. Initially, the base hosted military aircraft testing and later ballistic missile launches. As a testing ground for space launches in use since 1957. Without stopping military tests, in 1957, part of the launch pads was made available to NASA.
The first American satellites were launched here, the first American astronauts took off from here - Alan Shepard and Virgil Grissom (suborbital flights along a ballistic trajectory) and John Glenn (orbital flight). After which the manned flight program moved to the newly built Space Center, which was named after Kennedy in 1963 after the death of the president.
From that moment on, the base began to be used to launch unmanned spacecraft, which delivered the necessary cargo to astronauts into orbit, and also sent automatic research stations to other planets and beyond. solar system.
Also, satellites - both civilian and military - were launched and are being launched from Cape Canaverel. Due to the variety of tasks solved at the base, 28 launch sites were built here. Currently, there are 4 operational. Two more are maintained in operational condition in anticipation of the start of production of the modern Boeing X-37 shuttles, which should “retire” the Delta, Atlas and Titan rockets.
Space Center named after. Kennedy (USA)
It was created in Florida in 1962. Area – 557 sq. km. Number of employees – 14 thousand people. The complex is completely owned by NASA. It is from here that all manned spacecraft have launched, starting with the flight in May 1962 of the fourth astronaut, Scott Carpenter. The Apollo program was implemented here, culminating in the landing on the Moon. All American reusable ships - shuttles - departed from here and returned here.
Now all launch sites are in standby mode for new equipment. The last launch took place in 2011. However, the Center continues to work hard both to control the ISS flight and to develop new space programs.
Kourou (France, European Space Agency)
Located in Guiana, an overseas department of France located in the northeast South America. Area – about 1200 sq. km. The Kourou spaceport was opened by the French Space Agency in 1968. Due to the small distance from the equator, it is possible to launch spacecraft from here with significant fuel savings, since the rocket is “pushed” by the high linear speed of the Earth’s rotation near the zero parallel.
In 1975, the French invited the European Space Agency (ESA) to use Kourou to implement their programs. As a result, France now allocates 1/3 of the necessary funds for the maintenance and development of the cosmodrome, the rest falls on ESA. Moreover, ESA is the owner of three of the four launchers.
From here the European ISS nodes and satellites go into space. The dominant missile here is the Euro-rocket Ariane, produced in Toulouse. In total, more than 60 launches were made. At the same time, our Soyuz rockets with commercial satellites launched from the cosmodrome five times.
Jiuquan (China)
The PRC owns four spaceports. Two of them solve only military problems, testing ballistic missiles, launching spy satellites, and testing technology for intercepting foreign space objects. Two have a dual purpose, ensuring not only the implementation of militaristic programs, but also peaceful development outer space.
The largest and oldest of them is the Jiuquan Cosmodrome. In operation since 1958. Covers an area of 2800 sq. km.
At first, Soviet specialists used it to teach the Chinese “brothers forever” the intricacies of military space “craft.” In 1960, the first short-range missile, a Soviet one, was launched from here. Soon, a Chinese-made rocket, in the creation of which Soviet specialists also participated, successfully launched. After the breakdown of friendly relations between the countries occurred, the activities of the cosmodrome came to a standstill.
It was only in 1970 that the first Chinese satellite was successfully launched from the cosmodrome. Ten years later, the first intercontinental ballistic missile was launched. And at the end of the century, the first descent spacecraft without a pilot went into space. In 2003, the first taikonaut was in orbit.
Currently, 4 out of 7 launch pads operate at the cosmodrome. 2 of them are allocated exclusively for the needs of the Ministry of Defense. Every year, 5-6 rockets launch from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
Tanegashima Space Center (Japan)
Founded in 1969. Operated by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Located on the southeastern coast of Tanegashima Island, in the south of Kagoshima Prefecture.
The first primitive satellite was launched into orbit in 1970. Since then, Japan, with its strong technological base in electronics, has made great strides in creating both efficient orbital satellites and geocentric research stations.
At the cosmodrome, two launch pads are reserved for launches of suborbital geophysical vehicles, two serve heavy rockets H-IIA and H-IIB. It is these rockets that deliver scientific equipment and necessary equipment to the ISS. Up to 5 launches are made annually.
Sea Launch “Odyssey” (International)
This unique floating spaceport, based on an ocean platform, was put into operation in 1999. Due to the fact that the platform is based on the zero parallel, launches from it are most energetically profitable due to the use of the maximum linear speed of the Earth at the equator. The activities of Odyssey are controlled by a consortium that includes Boeing, RSC Energia, the Ukrainian Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, the Ukrainian Yuzhmash Production Association, which produces Zenit missiles, and the Norwegian shipbuilding company Aker Kværner.
"Odyssey" consists of two sea vessels - a platform with a launcher and a ship that plays the role of a mission control center.
The launch pad was formerly a Japanese oil platform that was refurbished and refurbished. Its dimensions: length 133 m, width 67 m, height 60 m, displacement 46 thousand tons.
Zenit rockets, which are used to launch commercial satellites, belong to the middle class. They are capable of launching more than 6 tons of payload into orbit.
During the existence of the floating cosmodrome, about 40 launches were carried out on it.
And everyone else
In addition to the listed spaceports, there are 17 more. All of them are considered operational.
Some of them, having survived their “former glory”, have greatly reduced their activity, or even completely frozen. Some serve only the military space sector. There are also those that are developing intensively and, very possibly, will become “cosmic fashion trendsetters” over time.
Here is a list of countries with spaceports and their number, including those listed in this article
Russia – 4;
China – 4;
Japan – 2;
Brazil – 1;
Israel – 1;
India – 1;
Iran – 1;
DPRK – 1;
Republic of Korea – 1;
The creation of such a design will allow our country to make a breakthrough in the field of space technology and regain its leading position in the global space industry. The groundwork developed by the Keldysh Center in cooperation with enterprises of the Rosatom State Corporation allows us to begin full-scale implementation of the project.
Currently, Roscosmos has made a decision to transfer the lead role on the platform with a megawatt-class nuclear power plant to the FSUE Arsenal Design Bureau. The use of nuclear energy in space is not only legitimate, but is also included in the list of promising tasks for the development of space technology by the world's leading space powers. Universal space platforms with nuclear power plants (UKP-NPU) are being developed to solve promising problems in the field of defense and security, socio-economic development and science. But without the creation of a complex of ground-based technical means that ensure assembly, testing, preparation for launch and launch of space launch vehicles - cosmodromes - the exploration of outer space is impossible.
A cosmodrome (from the Greek κόσμος - space and δρόμος - running, a place for running) is a complex of structures, equipment and land plots intended for reception, storage, assembly, testing, preparation for launch and launch of launch vehicles with spacecraft. When choosing the sites for the construction of the first cosmodromes (Baikonur in our country and the cosmodrome at Cape Canaveral in the USA), many factors were taken into account, the main of which were:
The presence of “exclusion zones” in order to ensure the safety of people (for the fall of spent stages of launch vehicles and in emergency situations);
The energy factor associated with the power of the engines of the carriers used (the closer to the equator the cosmodrome is located, the greater the load that can be launched into low-Earth orbit by the same carriers);
Availability of transport routes (for moving cargo and supplying cosmodrome employees).
In addition, the climatic conditions of the area where the cosmodrome was located were taken into account, which determined the period of its operation (during calendar year), terrain, hydrological factor, seismic activity of the region, and so on.
The presence of the minimum necessary infrastructure was not taken into account during the construction of the first cosmodromes. Initially, it was assumed that launches of space rockets would be carried out exclusively with earth's surface. However, the improvement of rocket technology and the expansion of the list of tasks solved by astronautics led to the emergence of air- and sea-based launch complexes.
In the absence of a clear classification according to their location, the authors propose that all cosmodromes in the world be divided into two groups:
1. Stationary cosmodromes are complexes of launch facilities and accompanying infrastructure located on land and meeting the conditions of the “classical” definition of a cosmodrome.
2. Irregularly used cosmodromes - air, sea (surface and underwater) and, in the future, space-based complexes that do not have a clear geographic location to the area, the use of which is carried out periodically, as well as ground-based ones, which initially did not imply their use for space launches.
Over the years of the space age, 34 complexes in various parts of the globe were used as cosmodromes (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1 Complexes used as cosmodromes
1. Plesetsk Cosmodrome, 2 Baikonur Cosmodrome, 3. Cape Canaveral Cosmodrome, 4. Vandenberg Air Force Base, 5. Kuru Cosmodrome, 6. Kapustin Yar Test Site, 7. Sichan Cosmodrome , 8. Jiuquan Cosmodrome, 9. Tanegashima Cosmodrome, 10. Taiyuan Cosmodrome, 11. Sriharikota Cosmodrome, 12. Uchinoura Cosmodrome, 13. Cosmodrome on the island. Wallops, 14. Palmachim Israeli Air Force Base, 15. Semnan Cosmodrome, 16. Woomera Test Site, 17. Svobodny Cosmodrome, 18. Kwajlein Atoll Test Site, 19. Hammaguir Cosmodrome, 20. Cosmodrome " Kodiak", 21. Naro Cosmodrome, 22. Alcantara Cosmodrome, 23. Donghae Cosmodrome, 24. Sohae Cosmodrome, 25. Al-Anbar Cosmodrome, 26. Pegasus Complex, 27. Platform "Odyssey", 28. Platform "San Marco", 29. Complex "Pilot", 30. Launch base "Yasny", 31. Cosmodrome "Vostochny", 32. Cosmodrome "Wenchang", 33. Cosmodrome "Shakhrud", 34 . Complex on SSBN.
The total number of launch vehicles launched between October 4, 1957 and October 15, 2014 was 5,397 units. Of this number, 5,048 launches are classified as successful or partially successful, and 349 as emergency.
The number of launch vehicles from a specific cosmodrome is given in Table 1 (data as of October 15, 2014).
Table 1 Launches of launch vehicles from specific spaceports
Stationary spaceports
The stationary complexes include 25 facilities located in Russia, the USA, French Guiana, China, Japan, Israel, Iraq, Iran, Australia, Algeria, Brazil, Kazakhstan, North Korea and South Korea. 21 cosmodromes are considered operational. In fact, regular launches are made only from 19.
Cosmodrome "Baikonur"(Kazakh Baikonyr, “rich valley”; formerly the 5th Research Test Cosmodrome of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR (RF)) is the world’s first cosmodrome. The first artificial Earth satellite and the first biological satellite, the first “lunar satellites”, the first manned spacecraft, the first scientific satellites, and combat missiles were launched from it.
The cosmodrome is located on the territory of Kazakhstan, in the Kyzylorda region between the city of Kazalinsk and the village of Dzhusaly, near the Tyuratam railway station with the center having geographical coordinates 45°57"58"N. and 63°18"28"E. Covers an area of 6717 km².
Construction of the cosmodrome began in 1955, and already on May 15, 1957, the R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from its territory. Since October 4, 1957 it has been used as a cosmodrome.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Baikonur cosmodrome came under the jurisdiction of Kazakhstan. In accordance with the bilateral Russian-Kazakh agreement, Russia leased the spaceport until 2050. The rental cost is about 3.5 billion rubles/year. Russia spends another 1.5 billion rubles/year on maintaining the cosmodrome facilities. In addition, the budget of the city of Baikonur receives an annual gratuitous contribution of 1.16 billion rubles from the federal budget of Russia. In total, the cosmodrome and the city cost the Russian budget 6.16 billion rubles/year.
Over the years, launch complexes were built at the Baikonur cosmodrome for launching launch vehicles of the R-7 family (Vostok, Voskhod, Molniya, Soyuz), Cyclone-2, Proton, N -1, “Energy”, “Zenit-2”, “Dnepr” and others.
Over the past decade, the Baikonur Cosmodrome has ranked first in the world in the number of space launches, “outpacing” its closest pursuers (Cape Canaveral Cosmodrome and Kourou Cosmodrome) by more than twice.
Polygon "Kapustin Yar"(4th State Central Interspecific Range of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation) - a missile range in the northwestern part of the Astrakhan region with a center having geographic coordinates of 48°33"56"N. and 46°17"42"E.
Founded in 1946 as a missile test site for testing the first domestic ballistic missiles R-1 and other types of rocket technology. The cosmodrome has been operating since 1961. In the first years of operation, 4-8 space rockets were launched from it. Subsequently, the intensity of launch activities decreased. In recent years, space launches have been carried out only sporadically.
Cosmodrome "Plesetsk"(1st State Test Cosmodrome of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation; formerly 53rd State Research Test Cosmodrome of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR) is a Russian cosmodrome located 180 km south of Arkhangelsk near the Plesetskaya railway station of the Northern Railway. The center of the cosmodrome has geographical coordinates 62°57"35"N. and 40°41" E. The total area of the cosmodrome is 176.2 hectares.
Construction of the cosmodrome began in 1957. Initially, it was created as a missile base for launching R-7 intercontinental ballistic missiles (Angara facility). Since March 17, 1966, it has been operated as a cosmodrome.
The cosmodrome had sites for launching rockets of the R-7, Cosmos, and Cyclone-3 families. Currently, construction of a complex for launching Angara family missiles is underway.
To this day, the Plesetsk cosmodrome holds the absolute record for the number of space rocket launches performed from it, although it is not currently among the leaders in terms of the intensity of launch activity.
Cosmodrome "Svobodny"(2nd State Test Cosmodrome of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation) is a Russian cosmodrome. Located near the city of Svobodny in the Amur region. The center of the cosmodrome has geographical coordinates of 51°42"N and 128°E. The area of the cosmodrome is 410 km2.
The Svobodny cosmodrome owes its existence to the collapse of the Soviet Union, when the Baikonur cosmodrome ended up on the territory of a foreign state, and the Military Space Forces raised the question of choosing new site for launching light, medium and, in the future, heavy class launch vehicles.
After long discussions, it was decided to create a new Russian cosmodrome on the basis of the 27th Red Banner Far Eastern Division of the Strategic Missile Forces. The decree of the President of the Russian Federation on the formation of the cosmodrome appeared on March 1, 1995.
The first launch of the Start-1 launch vehicle (a conversion version of the intercontinental ballistic missile RS-12M Topol (15Zh58)) with the Zeya spacecraft was carried out from a mobile launcher of the Topol type on March 4, 1997. In subsequent years four more launches were carried out. The last one took place on April 25, 2006. All launches were successful.
After the decision was made to build the Vostochny cosmodrome, the Svobodny cosmodrome actually ceased to exist and has not been in operation for many years.
Spaceport at Cape Canaveral. Under this general name, there are actually two spaceports: the military-operated Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (formerly the East Test Range) and the Kennedy Space Center operating under the auspices of NASA. Kennedy Space Center). Both are located in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Operation of the cosmodrome began on December 6, 1957, when the first attempt was made to launch an American satellite. In subsequent years, the overwhelming majority of research vehicles and interplanetary probes were launched from Cape Canaveral. From the Space Center. Kennedy launched all American manned spacecraft created under the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle programs. It is assumed that the manned spacecraft currently being created will launch from Cape Canaveral.
In addition to launch pads and other technical means of ground infrastructure, at the Space Center. Kennedy is home to the world's largest space technology museum.
Vandenberg Air Force Base (Eng. Vandenberg Air Force Base; also known as the Western Test Range, English. West Test Range) is a US Air Force base, part of the territory of which is used as a spaceport (geographic coordinates of the center of the spaceport 34 ° 43 "47" with latitude and 120°34"37"w.).
Construction of launch facilities began in 1957, and the first launch of the launch vehicle took place on February 28, 1959. Primarily used to launch cargo for the US Department of Defense and the US National Reconnaissance Office. Although in recent years, launches have been carried out from the Vandenberg Base launch complexes in the interests of commercial customers.
In the 1980s At the Vandenberg Base, construction of launch complexes was underway for the launch of reusable spacecraft of the Space Shuttle system. However, after the Challenger shuttle disaster in 1986, work was stopped after the curtailment of many US Department of Defense programs.
Spaceport on Wallops Island(Test Center on Wallops Island, English Wallops Island Test Center) is an American spaceport on the island. Wallops off the coast of Virginia. Consists of three separate areas with a total area of 25 km²: the main base, the center on the mainland and the island. Wallops, where the launch complex is located.
It was founded in 1945, 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 (Scout X-1). Explorer-9).
Since 2006, part of the test site has been leased by Orbital Science Corporation under the name Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport.
Cosmodrome "Kodiac"(Kodiak Launch Complex) is an American commercial spaceport located on the island of the same name off the coast of Alaska. The center of the cosmodrome has geographical coordinates 57°26"08"N. and 152°20"16"W. Designed to launch light rockets along a suborbital trajectory and launch small spacecraft into polar orbit.
The decision to build a cosmodrome was made in July 1991. The first experimental launch of a rocket from the cosmodrome took place on November 5, 1998. The first orbital launch took place on September 30, 2001, when the Athena-1 launch vehicle was launched into orbit 4 small satellites.
Spaceport on Kwajlein Island(Ronald Reagan Test Site, formerly Kwajlane Missile Range) is a missile test site located on Kwajlane Atoll, Marshall Islands, United States. It has existed since 1959, but was used as a spaceport from 2006 to 2009, when five launches of the Falcon 1 launch vehicle, created by the private company Space-X, were carried out from here.
Cosmodrome "Tseyuquan"(Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center) is the oldest Chinese spaceport, located on the edge of the Badan-Jilin Desert in the lower reaches of the Heihe River in Gansu Province with the center having geographical coordinates 40°57"28"N. and 100°17"30"E.
It has been operating as a missile test site since 1958, and as a cosmodrome since 1970. Until 1984, it remained the only Chinese cosmodrome. The Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center is used to launch manned spacecraft under the Shenzhou program.
Sichan Cosmodrome(Xichang Satellite Launch Center, also known as “Base 27”) is a Chinese spaceport located 64 km from Xichang, Sichuan Province, with the center having geographic coordinates of 28°14"45"N. and 102°01"35"E. The headquarters of the cosmodrome is located in Sichan. In operation since 1984.
Cosmodrome "Taiyuan"(Taian Satellite Launch Center, formerly known as Wuzhei) is a Chinese spaceport in the northwestern part of Shanxi Province, near the city of Taiyuan, at an altitude of 1500 meters above sea level, with a center having geographic coordinates of 38°50"58"N. and 111°36"32"E. It has been in operation since 1988. The area of its territory is 375 km2.
The launch site, a maintenance tower and two liquid fuel storage facilities are located at the cosmodrome.
Wenchang Cosmodrome(Wenchang Satellite Launch Center) is the fourth Chinese spaceport, the construction of which was completed in 2014. So far, not a single space launch has been carried out from it. Located in the Wenchang area on the northeast coast of Hainan Island. The choice of this place as a site for the construction of a new cosmodrome was primarily due to two factors:
Proximity to the equator, which is advantageous from the point of view of the carrying capacity of launch vehicles;
Its location on the seashore with an abundance of convenient bays is necessary for delivering launch vehicles from the plant in Tianjin to the launch site by the cheapest and only mode of transport suitable for such large cargo - by sea.
The space center occupies an area of 20 km2. In the coming years it will expand to 30 km2. The area of the launch complexes is located in close proximity to the city of Longlou, for which purpose residents have been resettled to safe areas.
Another part of the space center will be a grandiose space theme park with an area of 407 hectares to attract tourists who will be able to watch space rocket launches from there.
It is reliably known about two launch complexes of the Wenchang Cosmodrome: one in the area of the village of West Diyuan, the second in the area of the village of Wuhu. According to Chinese authorities, the cost of building the new spaceport was less than $3 billion.
Cosmodrome Hammagir(French Hammaguir; originally - Colon-Bechar Rocket Test Center) - a French spaceport located in Algeria near the border with Morocco, 130 km southwest of the city of Bechar with a center having geographic coordinates of 30 ° 53 "N and 3 °02" west Intended for launching combat ballistic missiles, testing elements of space technology and launching artificial Earth satellites. Objects launched into orbit of an artificial Earth satellite had an orbital inclination to the equatorial plane ranging from 34 to 40 degrees.
Had four launch complexes. The missile launches were carried out along two routes: in a southwestern direction to the city of Tindouf (1000 km long) and in a southeastern direction to Lake Chad (2000 km).
The first launch of an artificial Earth satellite from the cosmodrome took place on November 26, 1965. In total, during the operation of the cosmodrome, four space rockets were launched from it.
In accordance with the Evian Agreements between France and Algeria, the official closing ceremony of the spaceport took place on May 21, 1967. The cosmodrome equipment was dismantled and removed by June 30, 1967.
Cosmodrome "Kuru"(French Kourou), officially known as the Guiana Space Center (French Center spatial guyanais) is a spaceport in French Guiana. Located on the Atlantic coast, on a strip 60 km long and 20 km wide between the towns of Kourou and Sinnamari. Geographic coordinates of the center of the cosmodrome are 5°14"21"N. and 52°46"06"W
In 1964, the French government chose Kourou from 14 other proposals for the location of the spaceport. Construction began in 1965 and lasted five years. The first launch took place on April 9, 1968.
After the creation of the European Space Agency (ESA) in 1975, the French government invited the agency to use the Kourou spaceport for European space programs. Since then, ESA has considered the Kourou spaceport as its own part and paid 2/3 of its budget.
Currently, launch complexes have been built at the cosmodrome for the entire line of launch vehicles, from the light Vega to the heavy Ariane-5.
Cosmodrome "Sriharikota"(Satish Dhawan Space Center) is an Indian spaceport operated by the Indian Space Research Organization. Located on o. Sriharikota in the Bay of Bengal in the south of the state of Andhra Pradna with the center having geographical coordinates 13 ° 43 "12" N. latitude. and 80°13"49"E. Proximity to the equator is one of the advantages of the Sriharikota spaceport over other launch sites in the world.
Construction of the cosmodrome was carried out from 1971 to 1979. The first launch of the space launch vehicle was undertaken on August 10, 1979, but ended in the ASLV launch vehicle failure. A year later, the first successful launch of an Indian carrier took place.
Palmachim Cosmodrome(another name for “Base 25”) is an Israeli Air Force base located next to Kibbutz Palmachim, near the cities of Rishon de Zion and Yavne with the center having geographic coordinates 31°53"52"N. and 34°41"26"E. Built in 1963, it has been used as a cosmodrome since 1988.
The only cosmodrome in the world, launches from which are carried out exclusively in the direction opposite to the rotation of the Earth. This is being done in order to avoid the possible fall of rocket fragments on the territory of neighboring Arab countries hostile to Israel. In this case, spacecraft launched into orbit can have an orbital inclination ranging from 142 to 144 degrees.
Utinoura Cosmodrome(Uchinoura Space Center, until 2003 it was called Kagoshima Space Center) is a Japanese spaceport located on the Pacific coast near the city of Kimotsuki (formerly Uchinoura), in Kagoshima Prefecture, with the center having geographical coordinates 31 ° 15 "07" north latitude and 131°04"55"E.
The location of the cosmodrome makes it possible to launch spacecraft from it into orbits with an inclination ranging from 29 to 75 degrees. Construction of the cosmodrome began in 1961 and was completed in February 1962. In the early years, geophysical and meteorological rockets were launched from it.
The first space launch took place on September 26, 1966 and was unsuccessful. Three other attempts made by Japan in 1966-1969 also ended in accidents. The first successful launch of the satellite took place on February 11, 1970.
Cosmodrome "Tanegashima"(Tanegashima Space Center) is the largest spaceport in Japan. Located on the southeast coast of the island. Tanegashima in the south of Kagoshima Prefecture, 115 km south of the island. Kyushu. The center of the cosmodrome has geographic coordinates of 30°24"N and 130°58"12"E. It was created in 1969. The first space launch took place on September 9, 1975. It is operated by the Japan Aerospace Agency.
Currently, the cosmodrome has two launch pads for launch vehicles H-2A and H-2B, which allow launching payloads into orbits with an inclination of up to 99 degrees. According to Japanese experts, the Tanegashima cosmodrome is the most beautiful and picturesque launch site in the world.
Semnan Cosmodrome– Iran’s first and so far only cosmodrome. Located in the Dasht-Kevir desert in the province of Semnan (Northern Iran), near the administrative center - the city of Semnan, with the center having geographical coordinates 35 ° 13 "17" N. latitude. and 53°53"49"E
The cosmodrome has at least one launch facility for launching light launch vehicles. Spacecraft launched from it can have an orbital inclination to the equatorial plane ranging from 35 to 55 degrees.
The years of construction are unknown, but the spaceport has been in operation since 2008. The first successful launch took place on February 2, 2002, the Omid (Nadezhda) satellite was launched into low-Earth orbit.
Woomera Proving Ground(Woomera Test Range) is an Australian spaceport located in the central part of the state of South Australia near the city of Woomera with the center having geographic coordinates of 31°12" S and 136°49" E.
Created in 1946 on the basis of an Anglo-Australian agreement as a test center for controlled aircraft. On November 3, 1961, it was chosen as the European spaceport. It was intended for testing elements of space technology and launching artificial Earth satellites. Satellites launched from the Woomera cosmodrome could be in low-Earth orbits with an inclination ranging from 82 to 84 degrees.
The spaceport has been functioning since November 29, 1967, when the first Australian satellite WRESAT (Weapons Research Establishment SATellite - a research satellite of the Australian Department of Defense) was launched into low-Earth orbit using the American Redstone launch vehicle. In total, 6 launches of space rockets were carried out from the cosmodrome, incl. four emergency.
The last launch took place on October 28, 1971, when the British satellite Prospero was launched into orbit using the British Black Arrow launch vehicle.
Since July 1976, by decision of the Australian government, the spaceport has been closed as unprofitable (the equipment has been mothballed). In subsequent years, only sounding rockets were periodically launched from it.
AlAnbar Cosmodrome(Al-Anbar Space Center) is an Iraqi spaceport located 50 km west of Baghdad with the center having geographic coordinates of 33.5° N. latitude. and 43°E
Construction of the Al-Anbar missile test site began in 1982, and just three years later the first successful launch of a medium-range ballistic missile was recorded from it. Only one launch of a space rocket is known, carried out on December 5, 1989 - the three-stage Abid launch vehicle was launched, which was a version of the Soviet R-11 ballistic missile, modified with the help of Argentine specialists.
The launch was unsuccessful; the carrier exploded 45 seconds into the flight. However, Iraqi government officials called it a success, which gave rise to the legend of the rocket's third stage entering low-Earth orbit and orbiting the Earth six times. During military operation During Desert Storm in 1991, the spaceport suffered significant damage and has not been in use since then.
Donghae Cosmodrome(“East Sea”; another name is the Kwandai Missile Test Site) is a spaceport in the DPRK, located on the eastern coast of the country in Hwade-gun County, Hamgyong-Puk-do Province, with its center having geographic coordinates of 40°51"20"N. and 129°39"57"E. In English-language literature it is better known as the Musudan missile range, named after a nearby village.
The choice of location for the test site was influenced by such factors as sufficient distance from the demilitarized zone, minimizing the danger of missiles flying over the territory of neighboring countries, general distance from large residential areas, and climatic factors. The missile range has been operating since 1984.
It was used twice for launches of space rockets - on August 31, 1998 and on July 4, 2006. Both launches were emergency, but the North Korean authorities assured the world community that the satellites entered orbit and remained in it for a long time. To date, all work on the DPRK space program has been transferred to another cosmodrome, Sohae.
Sohae Cosmodrome (Sohae Western Test Site) is the second cosmodrome of the DPRK. Located on the west coast of the country in Pyongan Province in a hilly area near the northern border with China, 200 km northwest of Pyongyang and 70 km west of the Yongbyon nuclear center. The spaceport was built on the site of the village of Pondon-ni.
Work on the construction of the cosmodrome began in the early 1990s and was completed only in 2011. The first official mention of the cosmodrome took place in March 2012, when the DPRK media announced the preparation of the first launch of an applied Earth remote sensing satellite from this cosmodrome "Gwangmyeonsong-3". A month later, foreign journalists visited the cosmodrome, who were met by the director of the cosmodrome, Chan Myung-jin.
The first space launch from the Sohe Cosmodrome took place on April 13, 2012, but was unsuccessful. The second attempt to launch the Gwangmyeongsong-3 satellite into orbit using the Eunha-3 launch vehicle, made on December 12, 2012, was successful.
Naro Cosmodrome(Naro Space Center) is a South Korean spaceport. Located on o. Wenarodo near the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula in Goheung County, Jeollanam-do Province. The center of the cosmodrome has geographical coordinates 34°25"55"N. and 127°32"06"E.
Construction of the cosmodrome began in 2003 and was completed in 2009. It is intended for the implementation of the South Korean space program, the first stage of which was the creation of the KSLV-1 (Naro-1) launch vehicle. To date, three Naro-1 rockets have been launched from the Naro cosmodrome. The first two launches in August 2009 and June 2010 were unsuccessful. The third launch, which took place on January 30, 2013, was successful.
Alcantara Cosmodrome(Alcantara Launch Center) is a Brazilian spaceport in the state of Maranhão, in the north of the Atlantic coast of the country, with a center having geographic coordinates of 2°17"S and 44°23"W.
Construction of the cosmodrome began in 1982 and was completed seven years later. The first launch of the space carrier on November 2, 1997 was unsuccessful. The accident also ended Brazil's second attempt to become a space power - the VLS-1 (V02) launch vehicle exploded at the launch site on December 11, 1999.
The third launch of the VLS-1 (V03) rocket was scheduled for the end of August 2003. However, three days before the launch, during pre-launch preparations, the rocket exploded at the launch site. The tragedy claimed the lives of 21 people and became one of the largest rocket disasters in the entire history of world astronautics.
After this, Brazil did not make any new attempts to launch space launch vehicles of its own production. Currently, at the Alcantara cosmodrome, the construction of a launch complex for the Ukrainian Cyclone-4 launch vehicles, created within the framework of the intergovernmental Brazilian-Ukrainian agreement, is being completed. The first launch is scheduled for early 2015.
Irregularly used spaceports
The group of irregularly used cosmodromes includes air- and sea-based cosmodromes, as well as the Russian Yasny missile base, which was not originally intended for use as a space launch site.
An air-launched rocket and space complex created in the USA in the late 1950s. within the project "Pilot"(Pilot project), became the first non-stationary cosmodrome from which attempts were made to launch satellites. In July-August 1958, six launches of Pilot launch vehicles were carried out as part of the project. All of them were emergency.
The complex was created on the basis of a modified F-4D-1 Skyray carrier-based fighter, under the left wing of which a five-stage missile was suspended on a standard bomb rack. The aircraft itself in this version played the role of the sixth stage. After the rocket separated from the carrier, the engine started and it began to rapidly gain altitude. The mass of the satellite that the Pilot rocket could launch into low-Earth orbit was 1.05 kg.
The first attempt to launch a spacecraft from an air-launched complex was made on July 25, 1958. On this day, the F-4D-1 fighter (tail number 130475) took off from the airfield at Inukern US Air Force Base north of Los Angeles. The car was piloted by test pilot William West. The plane headed southwest, towards the Pacific Ocean. At an altitude of almost 11 km above the Santa Barbara Channel, the plane began to accelerate and climb. When the vehicle reached an altitude of 12.5 km, the rocket was released. Following this, the Pilot engine turned on and the rocket... exploded.
The next five attempts to launch satellites were also unsuccessful, after which the program was closed, and the air-launched rocket and space complex “Pilot” sunk into history.
Luigi Broglio Space Center (Centro Spaziale Luigi Broglio), San Marco Spaceport - Italian naval spaceport. The world's first "cosmodrome on water". It was based in the Indian Ocean in the Formosa Gulf, 5 km off the coast of Kenya at a point with geographic coordinates of 2°56" S and 40°12" E. Spacecraft launched into low-Earth orbit had an orbital inclination ranging from 2 to 3 degrees.
The cosmodrome consisted of two floating platforms, “San Marco” and “Santa Rita,” which were installed in the starting position using retractable steel supports on the coastal seabed at a distance of 500 mods from the other. The San Marco platform was 90 m long. A launcher and a 36 m long assembly and testing hangar for assembling and testing American Scout launch vehicles, equipped with an air conditioning system, were mounted on it. When launched, the platform is secured in a stationary position by twenty steel supports.
The Santa Rita platform was converted from an oil drilling platform. It housed the launch control post and equipment for monitoring the flight of the launch vehicles. The platforms were connected to each other by 23 submarine cables.
As a cosmodrome, the Luigi Broglio Space Center operated from 1967 to 1988. In total, nine launches of Scout launch vehicles were carried out from the San Marco platform, as a result of which 10 spacecraft were launched into satellite orbit: four Italian , one British and five American. Since 1988, the cosmodrome has not been in operation, although the equipment has not been dismantled or mothballed.
Air-launched rocket and space complex "Pegasus"(Pegasus) is an air spaceport project implemented by the American company Orbital Sciences Corporation to launch light Pegasus launch vehicles.
At the first stage, the basis of the complex was a modified version of the B-52B bomber (tail number 52-008). Subsequently, a modification of the passenger wide-body aircraft L-1011 Stargazer (registration number N140SC) was used.
Launch from an air spaceport is carried out in the following way: the carrier aircraft rises to a height of 10-15 km, where the rocket is released. 5 seconds after separation, the propulsion engine is launched, the rocket goes into vertical flight and puts the cargo into orbit.
An appropriate airfield can be used as an airfield for take-off of a carrier aircraft with a rocket. necessary requirements airfield anywhere in the world. In the case of the Pegasus complex, the following airfields were used: at Edwards Air Force Base, California, USA, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, USA, at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida USA, at test site on Wallops Island, Virginia, USA, on Kwajlane Atoll, Marshall Islands, USA, and Grand Canary Airport, Canary Islands, USA.
To date, the Pegasus complex has been used 42 times. No new launches are planned in the coming years due to the lack of demand for launching launch vehicles of this class. It is possible that launches will resume after 2016.
Marine launch platform "Odysseus"(Odyssey) is a sea spaceport created as part of the international project “Sea Launch” with the participation of a number of companies from the USA, Russia, Ukraine and Norway.
The sea cosmodrome consists of two vessels: the Odyssey platform, from which Zenit-3SL launch vehicles are launched, and the Sea Commander support vessel, which houses launch teams, communications and control equipment. At the moment of missile launch, the ships are several kilometers apart from each other.
The vessels are based at the port of Long Beach in the state of California. From there, ships proceed to the equatorial part of the Pacific Ocean (154° W), from where the rockets launch.
First start from sea spaceport took place on March 27, 1999 and was successful. In the same year, commercial operation of the cosmodrome began.
In the 1990s. In the context of a sharp reduction in the domestic Navy, a project appeared to use liquidated sea-based ballistic missiles to launch small spacecraft. To achieve this, it was planned to modify standard missiles and carry out launches from submarines on combat duty. Thus was born sea-based rocket and space complex based on SSBNs.
As part of this project, three launches of the Shtil and Volna launch vehicles were carried out. Two launches took place from the K-407 Novomoskovsk and K-84 Ekaterinburg boats, and one from the K-496 Borisoglebsk boat. All boats at the time of launch were in the Barents Sea. One of the starts was an emergency.
Currently, it remains technically possible to continue launches from a complex based on SSBNs. However, orders for launch services of this type not available yet.
Yasny launch base- a Russian cosmodrome located on the territory of the Dombarovsky positional area of the Strategic Missile Forces in the Yasnensky district of the Orenburg region with the center having geographical coordinates 51°05"38"N. and 59°50"32"E.
Operated by the Russian-Ukrainian company Kosmotras. To launch spacecraft into orbit, the Dnepr launch vehicle (a conversion version of the RS-20 Voevoda intercontinental ballistic missile) is used. The first space launch from the Yasny base was carried out on July 12, 2006, when the American experimental satellite Genesis-1 was launched into low-Earth orbit.
Spaceports under construction
The change in the geopolitical situation in the world, the reduction and adjustment of the tasks being solved by the world astronautics, led not only to the closure of previously created complexes of launch facilities, but also forced the construction of new cosmodromes. Currently, such construction is underway in Russia and China.
Vostochny Cosmodrome will be located in the Amur region near the Svobodny cosmodrome, which was disbanded in 2007, and the residential camp for personnel will be in the city of Uglegorsk. President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin proposed to name it in honor of K.E. Tsiolkovsky city Tsiolkovsky. The total reserved area of the cosmodrome is 1035 km2.
The creation of a new Russian cosmodrome is intended to solve two strategic problems:
Guarantee Russia's unhindered access to space, regardless of the political situation in Kazakhstan, on whose territory the Baikonur cosmodrome leased by Russia is located;
Accelerate the socio-economic development of the Far Eastern region.
In addition, local authorities, through the creation of a cosmodrome, intend to solve regional problems in the Far Eastern Federal District. In particular, to improve the demographic situation in the region, from which there has been a significant exodus of population in recent decades.
One of the main advantages of the Vostochny cosmodrome compared, for example, with the Baikonur cosmodrome, is the fact that the flight paths of launch vehicles do not pass over densely populated areas of Russia and over the territories of foreign countries, but are located in neutral waters. In addition, the location of the cosmodrome is close to developed railways, highways and airfields.
The disadvantage of the Vostochny cosmodrome is its remoteness from the main centers of rocket and space production, located mainly in Central Russia, which will lead to a significant increase in transportation costs.
The disadvantages also include the fact that the Vostochny cosmodrome is located 6 degrees north of the Baikonur cosmodrome, which will lead to a decrease in the mass of the payload put into orbit.
The first unmanned launch of a launch vehicle (most likely the Soyuz-2 launch vehicle) is planned for the end of 2015, and the first manned launch in 2018. In the future, it is planned to build other launch facilities, which will allow the operation of launch vehicles of various classes , including promising ones, the development of which is still planned.
There is unofficial information about the construction of a new spaceport in Iran. It is located 40 km from the city of Shahrud in the north of the country, and in Western media is referred to as the Shahrud cosmodrome. According to the British weekly Jane's Intelligence Review, work at this facility was largely completed in 2013. Satellite images clearly show the launch pad, a 125 m long gas duct, a service tower about 23 m high, a building measuring 62 by 47 m, which is identified by specialists as an installation and testing building. However, given the extremely secretive nature of the Iranian space program, the speech in in this case it may be about building launch sites for combat missiles, and not for space launch vehicles. It will be possible to speak reliably about Shahrud as a cosmodrome only after at least one launch of a space carrier has been carried out from it.
In addition to the spaceports described above, there are several other places on the globe that are called spaceports in the media. For example, America Spaceport in New Mexico, USA. Or similar complexes being created in Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, Australia and a number of other countries.
The launch weight of the launched missiles is 1,777,537 tons, and those that did not fly are 88,914 tons.
Who launched what:
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 Kosmos
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 a.m. Moscow time that the first ballistic missile was launched in the 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 have been carried out at the Kapustin Yar test site (at an altitude of 300 m to 5.5 km), the total yield of which is approximately 65 atomic bombs, dropped on Hiroshima. In addition to nuclear tests, 24 thousand guided missiles were exploded in Kapustin Yar, 177 samples of military equipment were tested, and 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
R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile designed to deliver 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 considerable 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 - located 300-500 km 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, a desert in Kazakhstan, east of the Aral Sea, near one of the largest rivers Central Asia 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 a 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 launch of the Vostok spacecraft (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, a major disaster occurred at the cosmodrome during testing of the R-16 ballistic missile, 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, over 50 years at Baikonur, more than 1,500 spacecraft for various purposes and more than 100 intercontinental ballistic missiles were launched, 38 main types of missiles, more than 80 types of spacecraft and their modifications were 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 (Russia, Ukraine, etc.) in search of a 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 big 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 military units that were part of the fifth state test cosmodrome of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and the transfer of 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 the new Russian Vostochny cosmodrome 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 working on 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 spaceport 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 routes.
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, on February 1, 1993, a directive of the General Staff was issued to conduct 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 all possible options for solving the problems of launching heavy-class space launch vehicles from Russian territory were assessed, possible locations for the launch complex (SC) for heavy launch vehicles were selected; 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;
. there is no need to locate areas of impact of separated parts of launch vehicles 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 national economic facilities and on 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 2-3° south of the Baikonur cosmodrome area. 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.
The closest to the central regions of Russia in the western part of this region on the Trans-Siberian Railway is the region of the city of Svobodny, Amur Region, from where 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 latitude 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. This is the first time the Military Space Forces have encountered such a situation. Changes that have occurred in legal and social spheres life led to the need for greater openness of military activities, 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, is of great importance for the entire cosmonautics, as it is intended for testing the latest general principles control of launches of space launch vehicles and control of spacecraft in orbit.
On March 4, 1997, the history of the Russian Svobodny cosmodrome began with the launch of the Start 1.2 launch vehicle with the Zeya spacecraft on board. 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 as part of the reduction armed forces liquidate the Svobodny cosmodrome due to the low intensity of launches and insufficient funding. It was planned to continue operating only the measuring equipment 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"
The Vostochny cosmodrome is a future Russian cosmodrome, which is planned to be built in the 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, determining 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 believe 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 has blocked Russian missile launches several times in recent years 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 new city, in terms of the number of residential buildings and the size of the infrastructure, comparable 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 (minimum 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 the attraction of investments and private capital in the area of the creation and cosmodrome;
. in the future - reducing costs for renting the Baikonur cosmodrome.
Used 3D animated computer models from the website