Baikonur Cosmodrome, Spaceport in Kyzylorda Region, Kazakhstan.
Description
Baikonur is a spaceport in the Kyzylorda Region of Kazakhstan, spread across roughly 6700 square kilometers (2600 square miles) of desert and containing several launch pads for rockets and spacecraft. The facility sits in flat terrain and includes assembly buildings, control centers and infrastructure for preparing launches.
History
The Soviet Union built the site starting in 1955 and launched Sputnik 1 from here in 1957, followed by Yuri Gagarin in 1961. Since Kazakhstan gained independence in 1991, the country has leased the grounds to Russia.
Culture
The museum displays artifacts from decades of space missions, including spacesuits, flags and personal gear used by cosmonauts. Visitors can view photographs of rocket launches and trace how technology has changed over time.
Practical
Visitors must obtain special permits from both Russian and Kazakh authorities, as the site is a restricted military area. Tours are sometimes organized around launch dates, but require planning weeks in advance.
Did you know?
Rockets are transported horizontally on trains to the launch pads and only raised into vertical position there. The railway tracks inside the site connect assembly buildings, test areas and different launch sites to each other.
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