To launch spacecraft into space, in addition to the launch pad, a complex of facilities is needed where pre-launch activities are carried out: final assembly and docking of the carrier rocket and the spacecraft, pre-launch testing and diagnostics, refueling and oxidizer.
Usually, spaceports occupy a large area and are located at a considerable distance from densely populated places, in order to avoid damage in case of accidents and falls, separated during the flight of steps.
Spaceports of the world
The closer the launch point is to the equator, the lower the energy consumption for launching the payload into space. When launched from the equator, it can save about 10% of fuel compared to a rocket launched from a cosmodrome located in mid-latitudes. Since there are not so many states on the equator capable of launching rockets into space, projects for sea-based spaceports have appeared.
Russia
The Russian Federation, being a pioneer in the field of space exploration, this moment holds the lead in the number of launches. In 2012, our country carried out 24 launches of launch vehicles, unfortunately not all of them were successful.
Russia's largest "space harbor" is the Baikonur Cosmodrome leased from Kazakhstan. It is located on the territory of Kazakhstan, in the Kyzylorda region between the city of Kazalinsk and the village of Dzhusaly, near the village of Tyuratam. Cosmodrome area: 6717 km². The construction of the spaceport began in 1955. On August 21, 1957, the first successful launch of the R-7 rocket took place.
Scheme of the Baikonur Cosmodrome
In Soviet times, a huge infrastructure that has no analogues in the world was created in the Baikonur region, which includes, in addition to launch, preparatory and control and measuring complexes, airfields, access roads, service buildings and residential towns. After the collapse of the USSR, all this went to independent Kazakhstan.
According to official data, the operation of the cosmodrome in 2012 cost about 5 billion rubles a year (the cost of renting the Baikonur complex is $ 115 million - about 3.5 billion rubles a year, and Russia spends about 1.5 billion rubles a year on maintenance of spaceport facilities), which accounted for 4.2% of the total budget of Roscosmos for 2012. In addition, 1.16 billion rubles (as of 2012) are annually donated from the federal budget of Russia to the budget of the city of Baikonur. In total, the spaceport and the city cost the Russian budget 6.16 billion rubles a year.
At the moment, Baikonur, after being handed over by the military in 2005, is under the jurisdiction of Roskosmos. By the end of 2007, most of the military space units had left the cosmodrome, and about 500 Russian servicemen remained at the cosmodrome.
Satellite image of Google Earth: launch pad No. 250
The cosmodrome has infrastructure and launch facilities that allow launching launch vehicles:
- medium carriers of the Soyuz family, launch weight up to 313,000 kg (based on R-7) - platforms No. 1 (Gagarin launch), No. 31.
- light carriers "Cosmos", launch weight up to 109,000 kg - platform No. 41.
- medium carriers of the Zenit family, launch weight up to 462200 kg - platform No. 45.
- heavy carriers "Proton", launch weight up to 705,000 kg - platforms No. 81, No. 200.
- light carriers of the Cyclone family, launch weight up to 193,000 kg (based on the R-36 ICBM) - platform No. 90.
- light carriers "Dnepr", launch weight up to 211000 kg (joint Russian-Ukrainian development based on the R-36M ICBM) - platform No. 175
-light carriers "Rokot" and "Strela", launch weight up to 107,500 kg (based on the UR-100N ICBM) - platform No. 175.
-heavy carriers "Energy", launch weight up to 2400,000kg (currently not in use) - sites No. 110, No. 250.
Satellite image of Google Earth: "Gagarin start"
Despite the regularly received payments for the lease of the cosmodrome and interstate agreements, Kazakhstan periodically prevents normal operation spaceport. Thus, in 2012, the launches of the European meteorological spacecraft MetOp-B (the launch was planned for May 23), the Russian satellites Canopus-V and MKA-PN1, the Belarusian BKA, the Canadian ADS-1B and the German TET-1 (group launch of these five devices was scheduled for June 7), the Russian device "Resurs-P" (planned for August).
The reason was the long-term agreement by the Kazakh side on the use of the impact field of the first stage of launch vehicles in the Kustanai and Aktobe regions (used when launching satellites into sun-synchronous orbit by the Soyuz launch vehicle).
Due to the position of the Kazakh side, the project to create a joint Russian-Kazakhstan rocket and space complex Baiterek (based on the new Angara launch vehicle) was not implemented. It was not possible to reach a compromise on the financing of the project. Probably, Russia will build a launch complex for the Angara at the new Vostochny cosmodrome.
Proton-K launches the Zvezda module for the ISS into orbit
The northernmost cosmodrome in the world is Plesetsk, also known as the 1st State Test Cosmodrome. It is located 180 kilometers south of Arkhangelsk, not far from the Plesetskaya Severnaya railway station. railway. The spaceport covers an area of 176,200 hectares. The history of the cosmodrome dates back to January 11, 1957, when the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR on the creation of a military facility with the code name "Angara" was adopted. The cosmodrome was created as the first military missile formation in the USSR, armed with R-7 and R-7A intercontinental ballistic missiles.
R-7 carrier family
From the 70s to the early 90s, the Plesetsk cosmodrome held the world leadership in the number of rocket launches into space (from 1957 to 1993, 1372 launches were carried out from here, while only 917 were launched from Baikonur, which is in 2nd place).
However, since the 1990s, the annual number of launches from Plesetsk has become less than from Baikonur. The cosmodrome is run by the military, in addition to launching satellites into orbit, test launches of ICBMs are periodically carried out from it.
The cosmodrome has stationary technical and launch complexes of domestic light and medium-class launch vehicles: Rokot, Cyclone-3, Cosmos-3M and Soyuz.
Satellite image of Google Earth: Soyuz carrier launch pad
Also at the cosmodrome there is a test facility designed to test intercontinental ballistic missiles with silo-type launchers.
The construction of starting and technical complexes for launch vehicles "Angara" on the basis of SC "Zenith".
Launch of the Cyclone-3 rocket from the Plesetsk cosmodrome
The cosmodrome provides a significant part of the Russian space programs related to defense, as well as scientific and commercial launches of unmanned spacecraft.
In addition to the main Baikonur and Plesetsk cosmodromes, the launch of carrier rockets and the launch of spacecraft into near-Earth orbit is periodically carried out from other cosmodromes.
The most famous of them is the Svobodny cosmodrome. The main reason for the creation of this cosmodrome was that, as a result of the collapse of the USSR, the Baikonur cosmodrome was outside the territory of Russia and the impossibility of launching heavy Protons from the Plesetsk cosmodrome. It was decided to create a new spaceport on the basis of the disbanded 27th Red Banner Far Eastern Division of the Strategic Missile Forces, which was previously armed with the UR-100 BR. In 1993, its facilities were transferred to the military space forces. On March 1, 1996, by presidential decree, the 2nd State Test Cosmodrome of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation was established here. The total area of this object is about 700 km2.
The first launch of the Start 1.2 carrier rocket based on the Topol BR with the Zeya spacecraft took place on March 4, 1997. During the entire existence of the cosmodrome, five rocket launches were made here.
In 1999, a decision was made to build a launch complex for the Strela launch vehicle at the cosmodrome. However, the Strela complex did not pass the state environmental review due to the high toxicity of the rocket fuel used in it - heptyl. 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. However, already in 2007, it was decided to create infrastructure here for launching medium-class launch vehicles. The future cosmodrome was named "Vostochny". It is assumed that commercial and scientific launches will be made here, and all military launches are planned to be made from Plesetsk.
Launches of light carrier rockets of the Cosmos and Dnepr series were also carried out from the Kapustin Yar test site and the Yasny launch pad.
Prospective air defense systems are currently being tested at the Kapustin Yar training ground in the Astrakhan region. In addition, launches of carrier rockets of the Kosmos series with military satellites are periodically carried out.
The Yasny complex is located on the territory of the Dombarovsky position area of the Strategic Missile Forces in the Yasnensky district of the Orenburg region of Russia. It is used to launch spacecraft using Dnepr launch vehicles. From July 2006 to August 2013, there were six successful commercial launches.
Also in Russia, spacecraft were launched from strategic submarine missile carriers.
On July 7, 1998, two German commercial micro-satellites Tubsat-N were launched into low Earth orbit from the Novomoskovsk SSBN of Project 667BDRM Delfin, while submerged in the Barents Sea. This is the first in the history of space exploration the launch of satellites into near-Earth orbit with the launch of a rocket from under water.
On May 26, 2006, the Compass 2 satellite was successfully launched from the Ekaterinburg SSBN of Project 667BDRM Delfin.
USA
The most famous US spaceport is certainly the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Space Center. It is located on Merritt Island in Florida, the center of the spaceport is located near Cape Canaveral, midway between Miami and Jacksonville. The Kennedy Space Center is a complex of facilities for launching spacecraft and flight control (spaceport), owned by NASA. The size of the spaceport is 55 km long and about 10 km wide, the area is 567 km².
The cosmodrome was originally founded in 1950 as a testing ground for rockets. The location of the landfill was one of the most convenient in the United States, since spent rocket stages fall into the Atlantic Ocean. However, the location of the cosmodrome is associated with significant natural and meteorological risks. The buildings and structures of the space center were repeatedly seriously damaged by hurricanes, and the planned launches had to be postponed. So in September 2004, part of the facilities of the Kennedy Space Center was damaged by Hurricane Francis. The vertical assembly building lost a thousand external panels of approximate dimensions of 1.2×3.0 m each. The outer skin covering an area of 3700 m² was destroyed. The roof was partially torn off and interior spaces extensively water damaged.
Top view of the area of launch complex No. 39
All shuttle launches were made by the Kennedy Space Center from Launch Complex No. 39. The center is served by approximately 15,000 civil servants and specialists.
The history of this spaceport is inextricably linked with the American manned space exploration program. Until July 2011, the Kennedy Space Center was the launch site for the Space Shuttle using Complex 39 with the infrastructure of the Apollo program. The first launch was the Columbia on April 12, 1981. The center is also a landing site for orbital shuttles - it has a 4.6 km long landing strip.
Space Shuttle Atlantis
The last launch of the space shuttle Atlantis took place on May 16, 2011. Then an American reusable ship delivered a cargo of logistics and a magnetic alpha spectrometer to the International Space Station.
Part of the territory of the cosmodrome is open to the public, there are several museums and cinemas and exhibition sites. Bus excursion routes are organized around the territory closed to free access. The cost of the bus tour is $38. It includes: a visit to the launch pads of complex No. 39 and a trip to the Apollo-Saturn V center, an overview of the tracking stations.
The Apollo-Saturn V Center is a huge museum built around the exhibition's most valuable piece, the reconstructed Saturn V launcher and other space-related exhibits such as the Apollo capsule.
Unmanned spacecraft are launched from launch pads along the coast, they are operated by the US Air Force and are part of the US Air Force Base at Cape Canaveral, This base is part of the US Air Force Space Command. There are 38 launch sites at Cape Canaveral, of which only 4 are active today. Currently, Delta II and IV, Falcon 9 and Atlas V rockets are launched from the spaceport.
Satellite image of Google Earth: launch pad at Cape Canaveral
From here, on April 22, 2010, the first successful launch of the unmanned space shuttle Boeing X-37 took place. It was launched into Earth orbit using an Atlas V launch vehicle.
On March 5, 2011, the device was launched into orbit by an Atlas V launch vehicle that launched from Cape Canaveral. According to the US Air Force, the second X-37B will be used to test sensor instruments and satellite systems. On June 16, 2012, the aircraft landed at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, spending 468 days and 13 hours in orbit, orbiting the Earth more than seven thousand times.
On December 11, 2012, a device of this type was launched into space for the third time, where it remains to this day.
X-37- is designed to operate at altitudes from 200-750 km, is able to quickly change orbits, maneuver, can perform reconnaissance missions, deliver and return small loads.
The second largest and most important object of the US space infrastructure is the Vandenberg Air Force Base. The joint space command center is located here. It is the seat of the 14th Aviation Regiment, the 30th Space Wing, the 381st Training Group and the Western Launch and Test Range, which launches satellites for military and commercial organizations, and also tests intercontinental ballistic missiles, including the Minuteman 3".
Control and training firing of live missiles is carried out mainly in a southwestern direction towards the Kwajalein and Kanton atolls. The total length of the equipped route reaches 10,000 km. Missile launches are carried out in a southerly direction. Due to the geographical location of the base, the entire route of their flight passes over deserted areas Pacific Ocean.
On December 16, 1958, the first Thor ballistic missile was launched from the Vandenberg base. On February 28, 1959, the world's first polar-orbiting satellite, Discoverer-1, was launched from Vandenberg on a Tor-Agena launch vehicle. Vandenberg was chosen as the launch and landing site for the Space Shuttle. west coast USA.
To launch the shuttles, technical facilities, an assembly building were built, and Launch Complex No. 6 was rebuilt. In addition, the base's existing 2,590-meter runway has been extended to 4,580 meters to facilitate shuttle landings. Complete maintenance and restoration of the orbiter was carried out on the equipment located here. However, the Challenger explosion caused the cancellation of all shuttle flights from the West Coast.
Following the freezing of the shuttle program at Vandenberg, Launch Complex 6 was once again converted to launch Delta IV launch vehicles. The first of the spacecraft of the Delta IV series, launched from pad #6, was a rocket launched on June 27, 2006, which launched the NROL-22 reconnaissance satellite into orbit.
Launch of a Delta IV launch vehicle from Vandenberg Space Center
Currently, the Vandenberg base facilities are used to launch military satellites, some of them, such as the NROL-28 apparatus, are used for "fighting terrorism." NROL-28 launched into a highly elliptical orbit to collect intelligence on terrorist groups in the Middle East; for example, sensors aboard such satellites can track the movements of military Vehicle over the surface of the earth. The launch of this satellite into space was carried out by the Atlas V carrier, which used Russian RD-180 engines.
For testing under the missile defense program, the Reagan Test Site is used. Launch sites are located on Kwajelein Atoll and Wake Island. It has been in existence since 1959. In 1999, the test site was named after former US President Ronald Reagan.
Since 2004, Omelek Island, which is part of the test site, has been the launch pad for the Falcon 1 launch vehicle, created by SpaceX. In total, 4 orbital launch attempts were made from Omelek Island.
The first three ended unsuccessfully, the fourth rocket launched a mass-dimensional mock-up of the satellite into orbit. The first commercial launch took place on July 13, 2009. The delay was caused by compatibility issues between the rocket and the Malaysian RazakSat satellite.
The Falcon 1 light class launch vehicle is partially reusable, the first stage after separation is splashed down and can be reused.
The Wallops spaceport is located on the territory owned by NASA, consists of three separate sites with a total area of 25 km²: the main base, the center on the mainland and Wallops Island, where the launch complex is located. The main base is located on the east coast of Virginia. 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. It has several launch complexes.
In 1986, NASA deployed a control and measuring complex on the territory of the test site for tracking and controlling the flight of the spacecraft. Several radars with antenna diameters of 2.4-26 m provide reception and high-speed transmission of information coming from objects directly to their owners. The technical capabilities of the complex make it possible to carry out trajectory measurements of objects located at a distance of 60,000 km with an accuracy of 3 m in range and up to 9 cm/s in speed.
Over the years of its existence, more than 15 thousand launches of various types of rockets have been made from the territory of the station; recently, about 30 launches have been made a year.
Since 2006, part of the site has been leased by a private aerospace corporation and used for commercial launches under the name "Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport". In 2013, the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer probe was launched from the Wallops launch site on a Minotaur-V launch vehicle to the Moon.
Antares launch vehicles are also launched here; in their first stage, two AJ-26 oxygen-kerosene rocket engines are installed - a modification of the NK-33 engine developed by Aerojet and licensed in the USA for use on American launch vehicles.
Launch vehicle "Antares"
As of March 31, 2010, Aerojet Rocketdine purchased from SNTK im. Kuznetsov about 40 NK-33 engines at a price of 1 million US dollars.
Another commercial spaceport was the Kodiak Launch Complex, located on the island of the same name off the coast of Alaska. It was designed to launch light rockets along a suborbital trajectory and launch small spacecraft into a polar orbit.
The first experimental rocket launch from the cosmodrome took place on November 5, 1998. The first orbital launch took place on September 29, 2001, when the Athena-1 launch vehicle launched 4 small satellites into orbit.
Launch of the Athena-1 launch vehicle from the launch pad on Kodiak Island. September 30, 2001
Despite the "commercial" purpose of the cosmodrome, Minotaur launch vehicles are regularly launched from it. The Minotaur family of American, all-solid-propellant launch vehicles was developed by the Orbital Scientific Corporation by order of the US Air Force based on the Minuteman and Peekeeper ICBM march stages.
Launch vehicle "Minotaur"
Under US laws prohibiting the sale of government equipment, the Minotaur launch vehicle can only be used to launch government satellites and is not available for commercial orders. The most successful launch of the Minotaur V took place on September 6, 2013.
In addition to launching cargo into space using launch vehicles, other programs are being implemented in the United States. In particular, objects were launched into orbit using Pegasus rockets launched from the Stargazer aircraft, a modified Lockheed L-1011.
The system was developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation, which specializes in providing commercial services for the delivery of objects into space.
Another example of a private initiative is the Space Ship One reusable vehicle developed by Scaled Composites LLC.
Takeoff is carried out using a special aircraft White Knight (White Knight). Then undocking takes place and Space Ship One rises to a height of about 50 km. Space Ship One is in space for about three minutes. Flights are carried out from the private aerospace center "Mojave" in the interests of "space tourism".
In 2012, 13 rocket launches were carried out in the USA. Yielding to Russia in this indicator, the United States is actively working on the creation of promising launch vehicles and reusable spacecraft.
PRC
Currently, China is one of the top five space powers in the world. Successful development outer space is largely determined by the level of development of satellite launch facilities, as well as spaceports with launch and control and measuring complexes. China has four spaceports (one under construction).
The Jiuquan Cosmodrome is the first Chinese spaceport and missile test site, it has been operating since 1958. The cosmodrome is located on the edge of the Badan-Jilin Desert in the lower reaches of the Heihe River in Gansu Province, named after the city of Jiuquan located 100 kilometers from the cosmodrome. The polygon at the cosmodrome has an area of 2800 km².
The Jiuquan Cosmodrome is often called the Chinese Baikonur. This is the very first and until 1984 the only rocket and space test site in the country. It is the largest spaceport in China and the only one used in the national manned program. It also launches military missiles. For the period from 1970-1996. 28 space launches were made from the Jiuquan Cosmodrome, 23 of them were successful. Reconnaissance satellites and spacecraft for remote sensing of the Earth were mainly launched into low orbits.
Satellite image of Google Earth: Jiuquan spaceport
In the 1990s, China had the opportunity to provide commercial services to other states for launching payloads into near-Earth orbits. However, due to its geographic location and limited launch azimuth sector, the Jiuquan launch site is unable to provide a wide range of such services. Therefore, it was decided to make this space center the main base for launching controlled spacecraft.
To this end, a new launch complex and a building for the vertical assembly of new powerful CZ-2F launch vehicles were built at the Jiuquan cosmodrome in 1999. This building allows the assembly of three or four launch vehicles at the same time, followed by transportation of missiles to the launch site on a movable launch pad in a vertical position, as is done in the United States with the Space Shuttle system.
On the territory of the current launch complex there are two launchers with ground power towers and a common service tower. They provide launches of the CZ-2 and CZ-4 launch vehicles. It is from here that manned spacecraft are launched.
Launch vehicle "Long March-2F"
With the successful launch of the Shenzhou spacecraft on October 15, 2003, China has become the 3rd manned space power in the world.
Launch vehicle "Long March-4"
To implement the manned program in China, a new control complex was created, including a control center (MCC) in Beijing, ground and command and measurement posts. According to cosmonaut VV Ryumin, the Chinese Mission Control Center is better than in Russia and the USA. There is no such center in any other country in the world. More than 100 terminals for presenting information to the specialists of the control group are located in five rows in the main hall of the MCC, and on end wall– four large display screens on which a 3D synthesized image can be displayed.
In 1967, Mao Zedong decided to start developing his own manned space program. The first Chinese spacecraft, Shuguang-1, was supposed to send two astronauts into orbit as early as 1973. Especially for him, in the province of Sichuan, near the city of Xichang, the construction of a spaceport, also known as "Base 27", began.
The location of the launch pad was chosen according to the principle of maximum distance from the Soviet border, in addition, the cosmodrome is located closer to the equator, which increases the load thrown into orbit.
After the project's funding was cut in 1972, and several leading scientists were repressed during the Cultural Revolution, the project was closed. Construction of the spaceport resumed a decade later, ending in 1984.
The spaceport is capable of producing 10-12 launches per year.
The spaceport has two launch complexes and three launchers.
The first launch complex provides: assembly, pre-launch preparation and launch of medium-class launch vehicles of the CZ-3 family (“Long March-3”), launch weight up to: 425,800 kg.
Satellite image of Google Earth: Xichang Cosmodrome
Currently, missiles of the CZ-3B / E modification are being operated. The first launch took place on February 14, 1996, but it turned out to be an emergency. 22 seconds after launch, the rocket fell on the village, destroying the Intelsat 708 satellite on board and killing several villagers. Nine subsequent CZ-3B launches and two CZ-3B/E launches were successful, with one partially unsuccessful. In 2009, the CZ-3B launch vehicle, due to abnormal operation of the third stage, brought the Indonesian satellite Palapa-D into a lower orbit than planned. However, the satellite was later able to automatically correct its orbit.
The first launch of the CZ-3B/E took place on May 13, 2007, when the telecommunications satellite NigComSat-1 was launched into geosynchronous orbit. On October 30, 2008, the Venesat-1 satellite was launched into orbit.
Launch vehicle "Long March-3"
The second launch complex has two launchers: one is designed for launches of the CZ-2 family of heavy-class launch vehicles, the other is for the CZ-3A, CZ-3B, CZ-3C launch vehicles.
The three-stage heavy-class launch vehicle CZ-2F ("Long March-2F"), with a launch weight of up to: 464,000 kg, like many other Chinese missiles, is a direct successor to ballistic missiles that were developed in China. The main difference lies in the ability to carry a large payload due to additional upper stages on the first stage of the launch vehicle.
To date, the launch vehicle of this modification is the most "load-lifting". She has repeatedly launched satellites into orbit, and also with her help, manned flights are carried out.
Over the years of its existence, the Sichan Cosmodrome has already successfully carried out more than 50 launches of Chinese and foreign satellites.
The Taiyuan Cosmodrome is located in the northern province of Shanxi, near the city of Taiyuan. Operates since 1988.
Google Earth Satellite Image: Taiyuan Spaceport
From this cosmodrome remote sensing spacecraft, as well as meteorological and reconnaissance spacecraft are launched into orbit. At the cosmodrome there is a launcher, a tower Maintenance and two liquid fuel storage facilities.
Launches of the type CZ-4B and CZ-2C/SM are carried out here. The CZ-4 launch vehicle is built on the basis of the CZ-2C launch vehicle and differs from it in a new third stage using long-term fuel.
The fourth spaceport under construction, Wenchang, is located near the city of Wenchang on the northeast coast of Hainan Island. The choice of this place as a site for the construction of a new cosmodrome is primarily due to two factors: firstly, the proximity to the equator, and secondly, the location on the seashore with convenient bays, which facilitates the delivery of CZ-5 launch vehicles (Great Campaign -5) heavy class with a launch weight of 643,000 kg, from a factory in Tianjin. The future space center according to the project will occupy an area of up to 30 km2. The first launch of the CZ-5 carrier rocket at the Wenchang cosmodrome is scheduled for 2014.
Today, China is showing highest rates space exploration. Investment volumes and quantity scientific programs in this area are significantly superior to those of Russia. To speed up the work, every year hundreds of Chinese specialists receive education in specialized educational institutions around the world. The Chinese do not shy away from direct copying, so much in the Chinese manned spacecraft Shenzhou repeats the Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
The descent module of the Shenzhou-5 spacecraft
The entire design of the ship and all its systems are almost completely identical to the Soviet spacecraft of the Soyuz series, and the orbital module is built using technologies used in the Salyut series of Soviet space stations.
France
Cosmodrome "Kourou" - located on the coast Atlantic Ocean, on a strip approximately 60 km long and 20 km wide between the towns of Kourou and Sinnamari, 50 km from Cayenne, the capital of French Guiana.
The Kourou spaceport is very well located, just 500 km north of the equator. The rotation of the Earth gives the vehicle an additional speed of 460 meters per second (1656 km/h) on an eastward launch path. This saves fuel and money, and extends the active life of the satellites.
Launch of the Ariane-5 launch vehicle
In 1975, when the European Space Agency (ESA) was formed, the French government proposed that Kourou be used for European space programs. ESA, considering the Kourou cosmodrome as its constituent part, financed the modernization of the Kourou launch pads for the Ariane spacecraft program.
Satellite image of Google Earth: Kourou spaceport
There are four launch complexes for launch vehicles at the cosmodrome: heavy class - Ariane-5, medium - Soyuz, light - Vega, and sounding rockets. In 2012, 10 launch vehicles were launched from the Kourou site, which is equal to the number of launches from Cape Canaveral.
Launch of the carrier rocket "Vega"
In 2007, within the framework of Russian-French cooperation, work began on the construction of sites for the launch of Russian Soyuz-2 rockets at the Kourou cosmodrome. The first launch of the Russian carrier rocket Soyuz-STB was made on October 21, 2011. The next launch of a Russian Soyuz-STA class carrier rocket took place on December 17, 2011. The final launch of the Soyuz-STB carrier rocket from the cosmodrome took place on June 25, 2013.
A cosmodrome is the name given to the territory on which there are facilities designed to launch vehicles into space. These objects occupy a considerable area and they are trying to be located at the maximum distance from the dwellings.
But the most important requirement for spaceports is proximity to the equator. After all, thanks to this arrangement, the carrier can use the energy of the Earth's rotation, which helps save fuel.
Only there are not so many developed countries at the equator, which caused the appearance of mobile and sea-based spaceports. In total, there are about thirty spaceports in the world, but few of them are actively used. The largest spaceports of mankind operating today will be discussed.
Baikonur, Kazakhstan. This spaceport is the largest and most actively used in the world. Despite the fact that the main history of Russian cosmonautics is connected with it, it is located in Kazakhstan. The spaceport was officially founded on June 2, 1955. Then the commission was looking for a sparsely populated region, whose land is not used in agriculture. The Soviet authorities decided to create a test site for missiles that could deliver nuclear charges over long distances. The first missile, R-7, was launched from Baikonur on May 15, 1957. It was she who from this cosmodrome was able to put the first artificial satellite into orbit on October 4, 1957, marking the beginning of the space age. One of the biggest accidents in the history of space launches is also connected with Baikonur - a fire broke out during the testing of the R-16 rocket, which claimed the lives of 76 people. And on April 12, 1961, the first man, Yuri Gagarin, went into space from Baikonur. Since then, more than one and a half thousand launches of spacecraft have been carried out from the cosmodrome, and ballistic missiles have also been tested. In 1994, the facility, together with the city adjacent to it, was leased to Russia. Kazakhstan will receive $115 million annually until 2050. Missile launches at Baikonur were carried out from 16 different launchers.
Cape Canaveral, USA. This cape in 1964-1973 was called the name of Kennedy. This place is located on the Atlantic coast of Florida. There is a US Air Force facility on the cape, which is essentially operated by NASA. Interestingly, the Kennedy Space Center is located on the neighboring island, from which launches are also carried out. As a result, Cape Canaveral combines two launch complexes at once. This object has received a unique telephone code 321, in honor of its contribution to space exploration. After all, these numbers mark the countdown. Since 1949, the military base has been used to test missiles, allowing them to be launched across the Atlantic. From here, since 1956, the Americans began to carry out early suborbital rocket launches. A launch artificial satellite after the USSR in December 1957 failed. In 1958, NASA was founded, for which launches were carried out from Cape Canaveral. There are also many sites for missiles. On September 13, 1961, the Americans were able to carry out the first orbital flight from this cosmodrome, and in February 1962, the first US citizen also went into space. In 2012, 10 spacecraft were launched from Cape Canaveral.
Kourou, French Guiana. This spaceport is located in the northeast South America, on the coast of the Atlantic. In 1964, the French government decided to join the space program and chose Kourou out of 14 competitors. Construction began in 1965, and the first rocket launch from here took place on April 9, 1968. In 1975, with the formation of the European Space Agency, it was decided to make Kourou the main launch site for space programs. Europe has modernized the spaceport under its Ariane program. And in 2003, Russia also signed an agreement with the French, which made it possible to launch Russian missiles from Kourou. In October 2011, the first Soyuz took off from the French cosmodrome. The advantage of Kourou is that it is only 500 kilometers from the equator, which saves fuel. The location of the spaceport is such that it allows for all possible missions. High level efficiency, reliability and safety attract customers from other countries to Kourou. And from here in 2012, 10 rocket launches were carried out.
Xichang, China. In the 1970s, China also joined the space race. According to the plans of Mao Zedong, as early as 1973, an astronaut from this country was to appear in orbit. Especially for the implementation of this project in Sichuan province, not far from the city of Xichang, the construction of a cosmodrome began. It was built in the strictest secrecy, and the place was chosen not only because of its proximity to the equator, but also as far as possible from the border with the Soviet Union. But during the Cultural Revolution, leading scientists were repressed, and funding was curtailed. The project was closed and restarted only in 1984. Then the first launches took place here, and in 1988 foreign specialists were also allowed to enter Xichang. Since 1990, the cosmodrome has been offering its services to other countries; commercial launches have been carried out using the national launch vehicle CZ-3. The spaceport has two launch complexes a kilometer apart. The spaceport can theoretically produce about 10-12 launches every year. Interestingly, during launches, the population of nearby settlements is evacuated. And the booster in case non-standard situations is blown up so that its fragments fall in sparsely populated areas.
Taiyuan, China. The cosmodrome began launching rockets back in 1966, but then it was about military ballistic carriers. Only in 1988, the first launch of a spacecraft took place here. The spaceport was previously called Wuzhai and is located much north of Xichang, near the city of Taiyuan. It was built 2500 years ago and was the birthplace of many emperors of China. So the past was connected with the future, which is certainly told to tourists. The area of the spaceport is 375 square kilometers, and its launch pads are located at an altitude of 1500 meters above sea level. In addition to the missile launchers themselves, the facility also has a maintenance tower and two liquid fuel storage facilities. The main satellite launches from here are meteorological, reconnaissance and remote sensing. In 2012, 5 spacecraft launches were carried out from here.
Jiuquan, China. This is the first spaceport for China and until 1984 it was the only one at all. Jiuquan is also called the Chinese Baikonur, also because of its size - 2800 square kilometers. Initially, the Shuanchenzi test site was built in the Gobi Desert. And the first launch into space from here was carried out in 1970 - the Chinese satellite Dongfanghong-1 rose into the sky. And in October 2003, the first Chinese cosmonaut (taikonaut) launched from this cosmodrome. So China became the third country in history with a manned space program. And in 2005, the second manned flight took place - two taikonauts made 30 orbits around the Earth. In total, from 1970 to 1996, 26 launches were carried out from here. In the 1990s, China began to offer other countries the opportunity commercial use spaceports, but Jiuquan was not in great demand due to its geographical location. Then it was decided to make this center the main base for the implementation of the national project of manned spacecraft. Especially for this, a modern control kit was created, which simply has no equal in the world.
Plesetsk, Russia. The most important cosmodrome in Russia is located 180 kilometers south of Arkhangelsk. This is the northernmost object of its kind with a long history. From the 1970s to the 1990s, it was Plesetsk that was the leader in the number of launches of space rockets, from 1957 to 1993 they were carried out in 1372, which is one and a half times more than Baikonur. The history of the cosmodrome began on January 11, 1957, when the Council of Ministers decided to create the Angara military facility. The first in the USSR military formation with ballistic missiles was to be located here. The location was chosen taking into account the reach of the territory of the alleged enemy and so that it would be possible to make test launches in the Kamchatka region. But in the summer of 1963, it was decided to convert the military facility into a test facility. The polygon began to develop in two directions: rocket and space. The first launch of the spacecraft took place here in 1966. Since 1968, Plesetsk has begun to carry out international space programs. Already in 1972, the French apparatus MAS-1 was sent into space from here. With the creation of military space forces in Russia in 1992, it was Plesetsk that became the First State Cosmodrome. Currently, the cosmodrome has launch pads for all modern domestic light and medium-class launch vehicles, a launch complex is being created for the latest launch vehicles, including heavy ones.
Sea launch. It is quite obvious that if it is not possible to launch rockets from the territory of the equatorial states, then a marine floating spaceport should be adapted for these purposes. That is exactly what Sea Launch is. This method was used in 1964-1988 on the fixed offshore platform "San Marco" in the Kenyan equatorial waters. However, the payload during launches from there was only 200 kilograms. After it became known that a powerful launch vehicle would not launch from there, Russia, the United States and Ukraine created the international consortium Sea Launch in 1995. The project cost was $3.5 billion. However, in 2009 the company filed for bankruptcy. And the first successful commercial launch took place in 1999. In total, by February 1, 2013, 35 launches were carried out, of which three were unsuccessful. The starting point is a place in the Pacific Ocean, not far from Christmas Island and exactly on the equator. And although this place is considered calm and remote from sea routes, several launches had to be postponed due to bad weather.
Sriharikota, India. This spaceport is part of the Satish Dhwan Space Center. It is located on the island of Sriharikota, in the Bay of Bengal. The obvious advantage of this spaceport is its proximity to the equator. The spaceport began to operate in 1980, although the date of foundation is October 1, 1970. Today, meteorological satellites are launched from here, and space technology is being developed. On average, India makes two launches from here every year. The cosmodrome has not only launch complexes, but also a tracking station, stands for testing rocket engines. A plant for the production of fuel for carriers was also built here. A lunar mission was launched from the Sriharikota cosmodrome in 2008, and an interplanetary Martian station was launched in 2013.
Vandenberg, USA. Canaveral is considered the main American spaceport. However, this air force base operated by NASA is important place in the history of astronautics. In 1957, the infantry training center was transferred to the Air Force, becoming a center for testing space and ballistic missiles. By 1968, through the acquisition of farm land, the area of the spaceport was increased to the current 400 square kilometers. In 1958, the first launch of a ballistic missile was carried out from Vandenberg, and the very next year, the launch of a polar-orbiting satellite. In 1972, the spaceport was chosen as the site for the launch and landing of the Space Shuttle on the West Coast of the United States. The base was significantly improved, however, after the Challenger crash in 1986, the shuttle program was frozen. The launch complex was again repurposed for the launch of polar-orbiting satellites, mainly for military purposes. Also located next to the spaceport is the Missile and Space Heritage Center, which shows how the base and its technologies have evolved.
April 27, 2016 is the day when the first ever launch from the Russian Vostochny Cosmodrome is to take place. The Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle is supposed to launch the Aist-2D spacecraft, the Lomonosov scientific satellite of Moscow State University, and the SamSat-218 nanosatellite into orbit.
A lot of articles have been written about the Vostochny cosmodrome today. Also, a number of major scandals are associated with it, mainly related to the delay in construction and theft of funds on an especially large scale.
What you need to know about the Vostochny cosmodrome, what are its pros and cons, as well as what intrigues and scandals one of the most strategically important and priority facilities in Russia managed to acquire - this is our article.
After the collapse of the USSR, Russia was faced with the fact that its main site for launching missiles ended up on the territory of independent Kazakhstan. Since then, Moscow and Astana have periodically bickered over the Baikonur Cosmodrome, and now the Kremlin is pouring billions of dollars into building a new site at Far East, which, according to President Vladimir Putin, will allow Russia to maintain the status of an "independent" space power.
The Baikonur Cosmodrome was built by order of the Soviet government at the height of the Cold War as a test site for military missiles. Now Russia pays $115 million annually to rent this piece of desert the size of the US state of Delaware. There are 20-25 rocket launches per year, including about four manned missions on Soyuz spacecraft.
Recall that Russia and Kazakhstan have been jointly using the Baikonur cosmodrome since 1999, and in January 2004 the Russian lease of the cosmodrome was extended until 2050.
It is amazing how far and far-reaching the consequences of the collapse of the USSR are. Just think about it- Russia is the only legitimate country - the successor of the USSR, and everything that was built in Soviet times with Soviet money (any strategic facilities) now does not belong to Russia. All this was left to 16 countries - republics that are part of the USSR. And today Russia pays rent to these countries for the use of its own facilities...
Speaking of renting the Baikonur Cosmodrome. On average, Russia annually pays $115 million to rent Baikonur and invest more than $100 million to maintain its facilities.
Against this background, it would be quite logical to build your own spaceport - on your own territory and not pay "tribute" - to a friendly country - an ally and partner. Which actually started in 2012. In general, a strange partnership between countries today - let's be friends, but it will cost so much ...
The goals of the construction of the Vostochny cosmodrome are generally clear - to stop paying crazy money for the lease of Baikonur to the partner country Kazakhstan, and also - quite reasonable self-assertion in the eyes of the entire international space community that Russia is a Great space power.
But the following fact remains incomprehensible - what will happen to Baikonur and will Russia stop using this facility after it completes the construction of Vostochny?
According to the deputy head of Kazkosmos Yerkin Shaimagambetov, if the project is successful, Russia will build a copy of Baikonur, and the legendary original will become superfluous. Although the Baikonur lease agreement was concluded until 2050, it can be terminated by warning the opposite party for a year.
But Russia may not leave Baikonur even if Vostochny is launched on time. First, the spaceport is full of secret and proprietary equipment, including rocket silos, says Asif Siddiqi, an expert on the Russian space program at Fordham University. “The cosmodrome occupies a gigantic territory. There are a bunch of launchers, location and control stations. What will happen to them? I think the [Russian] secret services will want to keep control over all this,” Siddiqi said. “This is the only trump card in the hands of Kazakhstan.”
In addition, if Russia intends to continue using Soyuz for manned missions, then Vostochny has technical shortcomings. The NASA engineer claims that the landscape around the spaceport does not correspond to the action plan developed for this type of spacecraft in case of an emergency landing.
In principle, neither Vostochny nor Baikonur are ideal sites for the Russian space program, which is kept afloat by launching commercial satellites into orbit (mainly with the help of Protons). The volume of the market for such services is estimated at $600 million and accounts for 36% of the global commercial space industry. But launching satellites is easiest with large venues closer to the equator, where the Earth's rotation speed is higher. Vostochny is 52 degrees north of the equator, and Baikonur is 46 degrees. Since 2011, Russia has launched nine unmanned rockets from the European Space Agency's launch site in French Guiana (located five degrees from the equator).
According to Shaimagambetov, he hopes that Russia will not leave and will continue to use Baikonur, at least as a backup spaceport. Many of the technologies that Russia would have to leave in Kazakhstan in the event of withdrawal are secret and "sharpened" specifically for the Russian space program. “This is not interchangeable equipment,” says Yuriy Karash, Corresponding Member Russian Academy astronautics. "A space launch pad is not a runway where other spacecraft could land."
However, the role of Baikonur will decline. According to plans, by 2030 Russia will carry out 90 percent of space launches from its own Plesetsk and Vostochny cosmodromes, and the share of Baikonur will drop from 75 percent to just 10!
"Price of the East"
In 2011, Roscosmos announced that about 25 billion rubles would be allocated from the budget for the construction of Vostochny. And for the general infrastructure, about 81 billion. It was also said about the timing - about 3 years. And in 2015, it was supposed to carry out the first launch from the Vostochny cosmodrome, and the launch of a manned spacecraft should take place in 2018.
However, from what was said, little was done on time, and the amount of the declared funds, as with the Olympics in Sochi, has grown significantly from 25 billion.
In November 2015, Roskosmos reported that the cost of the launch infrastructure of the new cosmodrome is approximately estimated at 120 billion rubles. General costs for the construction of the East will amount, according to preliminary estimates, about 180 billion rubles. According to director federal agency special construction by Grigory Naginsky, the construction of the Vostochny cosmodrome in the Amur Region will cost Russia 300 billion rubles. It must be understood that this amount also includes the allocated 92 billion rubles - within the framework of the federal space program for space technologies. Or are they not included?
The construction of the Vostochny cosmodrome in the Amur region is accompanied by scandals related to the detection of theft, as well as mass strikes and hunger strikes of workers due to salary delays. In January last year, the head of the Accounts Chamber, Tatyana Golikova, stated that the amount of embezzlement in Vostochny exceeded 13 billion rubles.
Photo: RBC So, in November 2015, on suspicion of embezzlement, the chief engineer of the project to equip the Vostochny cosmodrome of the 31st State Design Institute for Special Construction Sergey Ostrovsky was arrested. Earlier, in the case of embezzlement during the construction of the cosmodrome, the ex-head of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “GUSS “Dalspetsstroy” Yuri Khrizman was arrested. The arrested investigation suspects the purchase of cement, pipes and tires at significantly inflated prices through controlled companies. Hrizman stated that it was beneficial for him to work with a trusted supplier (son and close friend) "for economic reasons". According to investigators, Khrizman, together with his accomplices, stole 1.8 billion rubles.
Also, while receiving a bribe, the leading engineer of the federal state institution "Directorate of the Vostochny Cosmodrome" was detained. The detainee's name has not been released. The suspect, performing the functions of the customer in terms of control, acceptance and accounting construction works for the construction of roads of the cosmodrome, received a bribe in the amount of 50 thousand rubles from the representative of the contractor.
According to investigators, the detainee received money for the unhindered signing executive documentation and acts of acceptance of work performed. When receiving money, he was detained.
There was also a lot of talk about construction delays, but according to Yuri Volkodav, head of the FSUE Dalspetsstroy, the main delays in the construction of the cosmodrome were not the fault of the builders, but the fault of the customer himself, Roskosmos.
“- We drew the attention of the customer to the unsystematic financing of the construction of the cosmodrome. For example, funds from the target program for 2015 were received on the settlement accounts of Dalspetsstroy on December 30, 2015.
The list of corruption schemes at the construction site of the East, however, is incomplete. But in general, it consists of quite standard schemes for theft of funds, and these are:
1. Overestimation. According to the Accounts Chamber, the cost of building the cosmodrome with the help of the unreasonable use of individual indices was deliberately overestimated by 18%.
2. Fictitious works. Even the leadership of the chief designer, JSC Ipromashprom, is suspected by the Investigative Committee of attracting fictitious firms to perform virtual design work.
3. Purchases of materials at inflated prices. Purchase of materials at significantly inflated prices through controlled firms. The Chrysman case.
4. Overestimation of the cost of work. Spetsstroytekhnologii signed contracts with VIP-Stroyengineering LLC for 3.8 billion rubles. for housing construction in Uglegorsk. The cost of 1 sq. m of housing was determined at 31 thousand rubles. VIP-Stroyengineering subcontracted work to CJSC SSR and LLC SK Gorodok for 16–19 thousand rubles each. for 1 sq. m, that is, the cost overrun is more than 60%.
5. Failure to fulfill orders. A typical picture: “In October 2014, the customer entered into an agreement with the contractor for the construction of roads and paid an advance payment of 300 million rubles. The contractor did not start construction of the facilities and did not return the money, ”the Amur Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs reports. Stroykonstruktsiya S, mentioned earlier, also did not fulfill the order and now owes 393 million rubles according to the court, follows from SPARK data.
6. Unreasonably high salaries of top managers. The ex-head of Dalspetsstroy, Dmitry Savin, distinguished himself by accommodating his wife for a monthly salary of 800 thousand rubles.
Back in 2012, one of the leading Russian designers space technology Academician Yuri Semenov, when asked how he relates to the construction of a new cosmodrome, answered bluntly: “Negatively. It is obvious that this will be a feeding trough for officials. And too much of a burden on the economy.” How significant will this burden be for Russian economy perhaps no one will ever know for sure.
The Vostochny Cosmodrome is being built in accordance with the Decree of the President of Russia issued in November 2007. However, this decree is classified and has not yet been published. Vostochny may be the most secret and important construction site in Russia.
The object is being built in the Amur Region near the Svobodny cosmodrome, which was disbanded in 2007 and occupies 700 sq. km. As the president noted earlier, he personally initiated the construction of the East. “I myself chose the place for the future cosmodrome,” Putin said. - First, they offered a place on the Pacific coast, not far from Vladivostok, on the coast. Almost started building there. But then those same experts said, “No.” The Americans at Cape Canaveral are constantly postponing either landing or launching due to the weather, since there are many problems near the ocean, so it’s better to move to the continent.”
In 2007, the construction of the spaceport was estimated at 170 billion rubles ($4.8 billion). In 2011, Roskosmos submitted to the government an estimate of 493 billion rubles ($17 billion). Last year, Yury Koptev, a former director of Roscosmos and now chairman of the scientific and technical council of the state corporation Rostec, said that the Vostochny cosmodrome still needed to "add" 560 billion rubles ($9.6 billion).
How much exactly they will spend or have already spent on the first and second phases of the cosmodrome, Roscosmos has not yet said. Spetsstroy believes that the main expenses are yet to come. But already planned expenses for the first stage of 161 billion rubles. made the spaceport one of the most expensive in the world.
Paradoxically, with a very large estimate for the construction, the workers of the East constantly complained about poor working conditions, wage arrears or non-payment. And when it got really bad, they wrote in giant letters on the roofs of temporary houses: “Dear Putin V.V. We want to work. 4 months without pay. Save the workers." These words were visible from aircraft. Non-targeted spending hit the rank-and-file builders the hardest.
After scandalous publications in the press, the Ministry of Labor revealed wage debts of subcontractors for 150 million rubles. The prosecutor's office found more than 1.6 thousand violations of labor legislation, dozens of criminal cases were initiated. In May 2015, some of the debts were nevertheless covered, but the protests continued until the end of the summer.
Advantages and disadvantages of the spaceport
AdvantagesThe initial section of the flight path of the launch vehicle does not pass over densely populated regions of Russia and over the territories of foreign states;
The fall areas of the separating parts of launch vehicles are located in sparsely populated areas of the territory of Russia or in neutral waters;
The location of the cosmodrome is close to developed railway and motorways and airfields;
Reducing political risks - Kazakhstan has blocked Russian missile launches several times in recent years under various pretexts.
The primary task of the new complex is to reduce the load on the Baikonur Cosmodrome, but not completely replace it, at least until the end of the lease term - 2050.
Local authorities seek to solve regional problems in the Far East through the creation of a cosmodrome. federal district. 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.
Climate. In the area where the Vostochny cosmodrome is located, sunny weather prevails for more than 84% of the year, and rain and snow are rare. Also, the new spaceport will be less disturbing strong winds- here they are only in the second half of spring.
disadvantagesThe cosmodrome is located almost 6° north of Baikonur, which will lead to a reduction in the mass of the cargo to be launched.
The need to build its own airfield for the cosmodrome or lay a railway line from the cosmodrome to the nearest airfield for transporting spacecraft.
Increased transport costs in terms of finance and time. In the case of the creation of the Vostochny cosmodrome, the delivery distance of the launch vehicles and personnel will exceed 5,500 km. For this reason, at the end of May 2015, it was decided to move the assembly of new Angara missiles to Omsk.
Lack of housing and infrastructure for employees. Approximately 6,200 people lived in Uglegorsk, which makes it necessary to build new town Tsiolkovsky for accommodation of the personnel of the cosmodrome (designed to accommodate about 12 thousand inhabitants).
When the rocket deviates from the course or when launched into a polar orbit, debris and steps will fall into the forests, which will not cause immediate damage to the population and infrastructure of the region. But this can easily cause taiga fires. They already cause a lot of trouble in the east - and dispersed by an explosion of rocket fuel, a forest fire can become a real disaster.
The future of the Vostochny cosmodrome
The main modules of the cosmodrome have already been built, and preparations are currently underway for the first launch. By 2020, they plan to complete the rest of the infrastructure, as well as put into operation the launch pad for the Angara missiles. Everything is aimed at showing the seriousness of the cosmodrome project - for example, during the first launch, the rocket will put three satellites into orbit at once.
Will the Vostochny cosmodrome be successful, and will it be able to completely replace Baikonur? As for the latter, we can confidently say no - a number of projects in which Roscosmos participates, such as ExoMars, are tied to Baikonur, and supermassive cargo can only be sent into space from Kazakhstan. However, the Angara missiles have not yet had time to show themselves in action, and the lease of Baikonur lasts right up to 2050 - a lot can change during this period.
The only thing that makes you worry is the history of the Svobodny cosmodrome. It is located very close to Vostochny, and it was also built with an eye to replacing Baikonur. But since 1997, only 5 missiles have been launched from it, and in 2007 it stopped functioning altogether. Will Vostochny repeat the fate of its predecessor? Time will tell.
On March 4, 1997, the first space launch took place from the new Russian cosmodrome Svobodny. It became the 20th cosmodrome in the world at that time. Now, the Vostochny cosmodrome is being built on the site of this launch pad, the commissioning of which is scheduled for 2018. Thus, Russia will already have 5 spaceports - 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 - up to 40 launches per year were made on it. And there were 11 launch complexes. Over the entire period of the existence of the cosmodrome, more than 1300 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 spaceport with all its infrastructure and vast territory belongs to Kazakhstan. And Russia leases it for $115 million a year. The lease is due to end in 2050.
However, even earlier, most of the Russian launches should be transferred to the Vostochny cosmodrome currently under construction in the Amur Region.
US Air Force Base at Cape Canaveral (USA)
It has been in Florida since 1949. Initially, military aircraft were tested at the base, and later ballistic missile launches. It has been used as a test site for space launches since 1957. Without stopping military testing, in 1957, part of the launch pads was made available to NASA.
The first American satellites were launched here, the first American astronauts - Alan Shepard and Virgil Grissom (suborbital flights along a ballistic trajectory) and John Glenn (orbital flight) - went into flight from here. After that, the manned flight program moved to the newly rebuilt Space Center, which in 1963, after the death of the president, was named after Kennedy.
From that moment on, the base began to be used to launch unmanned spacecraft that delivered the necessary cargo to the astronauts into orbit, as well as sent automatic research stations to other planets and beyond. solar system.
Also, satellites, both civilian and military, have been launched and are being launched from Cape Canaverel. Due to the variety of problems solved on the basis of the tasks, 28 launch pads were built here. Currently, 4 are operational. Two more are maintained in working order in anticipation of the start of production of modern Boeing X-37 shuttles, which should "retire" the Delta, Atlas and Titan missiles.
Space Center. Kennedy (USA)
Created in Florida in 1962. Area - 557 sq. km. The number of employees is 14 thousand people. The complex is wholly owned by NASA. It was from here that all manned spacecraft started, starting with the flight in May 1962 of the fourth astronaut Scott Carpenter. Here the Apollo program was implemented, which culminated in the landing on the moon. From here all the American ships of reusable action - shuttles - flew away and returned here.
Now all the launch pads are in standby mode for new equipment. The last launch took place in 2011. However, the Center continues to work hard both on ISS flight control and on the development of new space programs.
Kourou (France, European Space Agency)
It is located in Guiana, an overseas department of France, located in the northeast of South America. The area is 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 large linear velocity of the Earth's rotation near the zero parallel.
In 1975, the French invited the European Space Agency (ESA) to use Kourou to carry out their programs. As a result, France is now allocating 1/3 of necessary funds, everything else lies with the ESA. At the same time, ESA is the owner of three of the four launchers.
From here, the European nodes of the ISS and satellites go into space. Of the missiles, the Arian Euro-rocket produced in Toulouse prevails here. In total, more than 60 launches were made. At the same time, our Soyuz with commercial satellites launched five times from the cosmodrome.
Jiuquan (China)
China owns four spaceports. Two of them solve only military tasks, testing ballistic missiles, launching spy satellites, testing equipment 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. Operates since 1958. It occupies an area of 2800 sq. km.
At first, Soviet specialists taught the Chinese "brothers forever" the intricacies of the military space "craft" on it. In 1960, the first short-range missile, a Soviet one, was launched from here. Soon the rocket successfully launched Chinese made, in the creation of which Soviet specialists also participated. After there was a break in friendly relations between countries, the activity of the cosmodrome stalled.
Only in 1970, 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 taikvonaut was in orbit.
Now 4 out of 7 launch pads are operating at the cosmodrome. 2 of them are reserved exclusively for the needs of the Ministry of Defense. Every year, 5-6 rockets are launched from the Jiuquan Cosmodrome.
Tanegashima Space Center (Japan)
Founded in 1969. Operated by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Located on the southeast 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 the field of electronics, has made great strides in building both efficient orbiting satellites and heleocentric 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 "Odysseus" (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 the most energetically beneficial due to the use of the maximum linear velocity of the Earth at the equator. The activities of Odyssey are controlled by a consortium that includes Boeing, RSC Energia, the Ukrainian design bureau Yuzhnoye, the Ukrainian production company Yuzhmash, which produces Zenit missiles, and the Norwegian shipbuilding company Aker Kværner.
"Odyssey" consists of two sea vessels - a platform with a launcher and a vessel that plays the role of a mission control center.
The launch pad was formerly a Japanese oil platform that has been refurbished and refurbished. Its dimensions are: length 133 m, width 67 m, height 60 m, displacement 46 thousand tons.
Zenith 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 made on it.
And all the rest
In addition to the listed spaceports, there are 17 more. All of them are considered active.
Some of them, having survived former glory”, have greatly reduced activity, or even completely frozen. Some serve only the military space sector. There are also those that are intensively developing and, very likely, will become “trendsetters of space fashion” 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;
North Korea - 1;
Republic of Korea - 1;
Modern spaceports in Russia are objects that play an important role in science, economy, socio-political, cultural communications at various levels. In the Russian Federation, there are both operating and under construction launch sites. Where are the Russian spaceports located? What kind of objects are they currently represented by?
What spaceports operate in the Russian Federation?
Baikonur, Plesetsk, Kapustin Yar, Yasny, Svobodny and Vostochny, which is under construction, are modern Russian spaceports. The list of relevant facilities, of course, can be adjusted depending on how the infrastructure used in the implementation of the Russian space program will be distributed. It is possible that due to the large area of certain spaceports, as well as the complexity of the tasks solved at them, new launch pads will be opened, current ones will be closed and transferred to another place. But at the moment, the Russian spaceports mentioned above can generally be considered as a fairly well-established system of facilities for the corresponding purpose. Let us now consider the specifics of each of them in more detail.
Baikonur is the main cosmodrome within the space programs of the Russian Federation
Baikonur is a cosmodrome that belongs not to Russia, but to Kazakhstan, but the Russian Federation is practically its only user. Its main operators are RSC Energia, TsSKB Progress, GKNPTs im. M. V. Khrunicheva, Yuzhny Space Center. Baikonur was built in 1955. This facility was leased by the Government of the Russian Federation from the Republic of Kazakhstan for 50 years. The cost of using the spaceport is about 5 billion rubles a year - 3.5 billion is, in fact, rent, 1.5 billion - funds allocated by the Russian Federation to maintain the facility's infrastructure.
Baikonur, despite its legal affiliation with Kazakhstan, is traditionally regarded as a Russian cosmodrome. It is known for the fact that the Earth, the first manned spacecraft, various scientific satellites were launched from it. Now Baikonur is the largest of all objects of the corresponding type that are involved in the Russian space industry. Its total area is about 6717 sq. km. In the past few years, this Russian cosmodrome has been the world leader in terms of the number of launches.
Infrastructure of the Baikonur Cosmodrome
The infrastructure of Baikonur is represented, in particular, by the following facilities:
9 launch complexes of various categories;
15 launchers designed to launch rockets that launch satellites and ships into space;
4 launchers used for testing ballistic missiles;
11 cases intended for installation and testing of equipment for various purposes;
34 complexes adapted for pre-launch preparation of rockets and vehicles for various purposes launched by them into space;
3 stations at which launch vehicles and other spacecraft are refueled with various types of fuel;
Measuring complex;
Information and Computing Center, in which control is carried out, as well as control of spacecraft flights and processing of various types of data;
Oxygen-nitrogen production complex capable of producing about 300 tons of various types of cryogenic products per day;
CHPP with a capacity of 60 MW;
Power train with a capacity of 72 MW, operating on gas turbines;
In the amount of 600 objects;
Communication nodes in the amount of 92 units;
Airfields - "Extreme" and "Jubilee";
Local railway infrastructure with a total length of about 470 km;
Automobile infrastructure with a length of about 1281 km;
Power lines in 6610 km, communications - in 2784 km.
Having considered the main features of the largest cosmodrome involved in the Russian space program, we will study the specifics of other objects of the corresponding type that operate in Russia.
"Kapustin Yar"
Many researchers tend to consider Kapustin Yar more like a military training ground. But in many respects, it can also be considered a cosmodrome, primarily due to the fact that test launches of ballistic missiles are carried out from it - with warheads that are launched into outer space. Kapustin Yar was built in 1946.
This cosmodrome of Russia is located mainly in but some of its territories are part of the Atyrau, as well as the West Kazakhstan regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Its total area is about 650 sq. km. This cosmodrome has its own administrative center - the city of Znamensk. Not far from it is a military airfield.
"Clear"
The Yasny Cosmodrome is most often considered by experts as a launch base - but for rockets, again, intended for launching into outer space. Actively used since 2006. This relatively new spaceport is located in Russia, in the Yasnensky district, which is located in the Orenburg region.
The main operator of the facility is the international corporation Kosmotras. The infrastructure of the cosmodrome is used mainly for launching various satellites into low Earth orbit. At the same time, the Dnepr rocket of Russian-Ukrainian production is most often used to solve the corresponding tasks.
"Plesetsk"
The northernmost cosmodrome in Russia is Plesetsk. It is located about 180 km from Arkhangelsk - south of the city. The area of the object is about 176.2 hectares. Plesetsk began to operate as a cosmodrome in 1966. It can launch missiles belonging to the R-7 family and others that belong to similar classes.
Russia's northernmost cosmodrome, according to some analysts, has a record in terms of the total number of rocket launches into space carried out from it.
"Free"
The Svobodny Cosmodrome is located in the Amur Region. It has been in operation since 1996. This Russian cosmodrome has an area of 410 square meters. km, and has the infrastructure to launch light and medium class missiles. An interesting fact is that the construction of Svobodny was initiated due to the fact that after the collapse of the USSR, the main Soviet Baikonur cosmodrome ended up outside the Russian Federation, and the leaders of the Russian space program decided that the state needed its own facility for the appropriate purpose. In practice, at that time, the easternmost cosmodrome of Russia, after the start of operation, was involved, in particular, for the purpose of test launches of ballistic missiles - such as Topol. Now it is practically not actively used, this is largely due to the fact that a new facility is being built in the Far East - the Vostochny cosmodrome. Consider, in turn, the basic information about it.
"Oriental"
This is the newest and most eastern cosmodrome in Russia. It started construction in 2010. It will be located, by the way, not far from Svobodny, which is supposed to be disbanded in connection with the installation of the main infrastructure already at Vostochny and the subsequent optimization of logistics to the specifics of the new facility.
It is calculated that the easternmost cosmodrome under construction in Russia will occupy an area of about 1035 square meters. km. Its creation is intended to solve the following major tasks: the acquisition by Russia of its own cosmodrome, adapted for launching any types of rockets, the formation of additional impulses for the intensive development of the Far Eastern territories of the Russian Federation. This region is given Special attention in state socio-economic programs, and the construction of the corresponding facility is considered here as one of the most significant factors in the successful implementation of these initiatives.
Vostochny is a Russian cosmodrome, which has a number of advantages, in particular, over Baikonur. So, for example, the flight paths of missiles that will be launched from here are located outside densely populated as well as foreign states - those are laid over neutral waters. In addition, a significant factor is where the cosmodrome in Russia is located - namely, in close proximity to a developed transport infrastructure. This makes the operation of Vostochny particularly cost-effective. At the same time, some experts also highlight a number of shortcomings in the design of the corresponding object of the Russian space program. First of all, it is noted that Vostochny is located 6 degrees north of Baikonur - therefore total weight the payload that is launched into space at the Russian cosmodrome will be slightly lower.
When will the launches from Vostochny start?
When will Russia's easternmost cosmodrome be opened and put into operation?
Initially, it was assumed that the first from the corresponding facility would be carried out at the end of 2015. But at the moment it has been postponed to 2016. As for the launches of a manned spacecraft from Vostochny, the first should take place in 2016. The personnel of the new Russian cosmodrome will live in the city of Uglegorsk, which is located in the Amur Region, in close proximity to the facility under construction. The administrative bodies of Vostochny will be located in the same city. By the way, some of the infrastructure facilities of the cosmodrome may be built outside the Amur region. It is assumed that from Vostochny it will be possible to launch missiles of almost any type - light, medium and heavy - such as, for example, the Angara, which was successfully tested in the Russian Federation in 2014.
Summary
Thus, the modern spaceports of Russia are represented by 5 operating facilities - for the time being, Svobodny can be counted among those, since it still has infrastructure, and one is under construction. They are located in the most different parts RF - in the south of the European part of the country, in the north, in the Far East. The largest spaceport, involved in the Russian space program, is located in Kazakhstan. Soon it will share its functions, which are expressed in the implementation of launches of all popular types of rockets, with the Vostochny cosmodrome, which is being built in the Amur Region.
