Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, Cosmonaut training facility in Star City, Moscow Oblast, Russia
The Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center is a facility in Star City near Moscow where astronauts prepare for space missions. It houses spacecraft simulators, underwater pools for simulating weightlessness, and centrifuges used to condition the bodies of space crews.
Sergei Korolev founded the facility on January 11, 1960, initially called Military Unit 26266, to train the first generation of Soviet cosmonauts. This creation launched one of the world's most important space training programs.
The center is named after Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space, whose legacy shapes the place today. Visitors can see his original office and learn how Russian space exploration developed across generations.
Astronauts from around the world train here using full-scale mockups of spacecraft and specialized equipment to prepare for weightlessness. Plan ahead as the facility operates with limited visiting hours and requires advance registration.
The center operates medical laboratories that monitor cosmonauts' physical condition before, during, and after their intensive training programs. This specialized medical oversight is a key part of preparing for the extreme demands of space.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
