The largest cosmodrome in Russia. Cosmodromes of Russia

Modern cosmodromes in Russia are objects that play an important role in science, economics, socio-political and cultural communications at various levels. In the Russian Federation there are both operating and under construction pads. Where are the cosmodromes of Russia? What are the objects they are now represented?

What are the cosmodromes in Russia?

"Baikonur", "Plesetsk", "Kapustin Yar", "Clear", "Free" and the "Vostochny" being built are modern cosmodromes of Russia. 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 not excluded that due to the large area of these or those cosmodromes, as well as the complexity of the tasks to be performed on them, new launch sites will open, current ones will be closed and transferred to another location. But at the moment the cosmodromes of Russia, mentioned above, on the whole can be regarded as a sufficiently well-established system of objects of the appropriate designation. Let us now consider the specifics of each of them in more detail.

"Baikonur" - the main cosmodrome within the framework of space programs of the Russian Federation

"Baikonur" is a cosmodrome that belongs not to Russia, but to Kazakhstan, but Russia is practically its only user. Its main operators are RSC Energia, TsSKB Progress, GKNPTS im. MV Khrunicheva, Space Center "Southern". "Baikonur" was built in 1955. The given object is taken by the government of the Russian Federation in rent from the RK for 50 years. The cost of using the cosmodrome is about 5 billion rubles a year - 3.5 billion is, in fact, rent, 1.5 billion - funds sent by the Russian Federation to maintain the operability of the infrastructure of the facility.

Baikonur, despite its legal affiliation with Kazakhstan, has traditionally been viewed as a cosmodrome of Russia. It is known for having launched the first Earth satellite , the first manned spacecraft, various scientific satellites, ballistic missiles. Now Baikonur is the largest of all objects of the appropriate type that are involved in the Russian space industry. Its total area is about 6717 square meters. Km. In the past few years, this cosmodrome of Russia - the world leader in the number of launches.

Infrastructure Baikonur Cosmodrome

Infrastructure "Baikonur" is represented, in particular, by such objects:

- 9 launching complexes of various categories;

- 15 launchers designed to launch rockets that bring 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 prelaunch preparation of missiles and their vehicles for various purposes;

- 3 stations, on which carrier rockets and other space vehicles are refueled with various types of fuel;

- measuring complex;

- Information and computing center in which control is carried out, as well as flight control of space vehicles and processing of various types of data;

- Oxygen-nitrogen production complex, capable of producing about 300 tons of various types of cryogenic products during the day;

- Thermal power plant with a capacity of 60 MW;

- power train with a capacity of 72 MW, functioning on gas turbines;

- transformer substations in the amount of 600 objects;

- communication nodes in the number of 92 units;

- airfields - "Extreme" and "Jubilee";

- local railway infrastructure with a total length of about 470 km;

- Automobile infrastructure 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 appropriate type that operate in Russia.

Kapustin Yar

"Kapustin Yar" many researchers tend to view more like a military training ground. But on many grounds it can be considered a cosmodrome, primarily because it carries out test launches of ballistic missiles - with warheads that are sent to outer space. Kapustin Yar was built in 1946.

This cosmodrome of Russia is located primarily in the Astrakhan region, but some of its territories are part of the Atyrau, as well as the West Kazakhstan regions of Kazakhstan. Its total area is about 650 square meters. Km. This cosmodrome has its own administrative center - the city of Znamensk. Not far from it is a military airfield.

"Clear"

Cosmodrome "Clear" experts are often considered as a starting base - but for missiles, again, intended for launching into open 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 the near-Earth orbit. At the same time, for the solution of corresponding tasks, the most commonly used missile is the Dnipro missile of Russian-Ukrainian production.

Plesetsk

The northernmost cosmodrome of Russia is Plesetsk. It is located about 180 km from Arkhangelsk - to the south of the city. The area of the object is about 176.2 hectares. Operated as a cosmodrome "Plesetsk" began in 1966. It can launch missiles belonging to the P-7 family and others that belong to similar classes.

The northernmost cosmodrome of Russia, as some analysts note, has a record in terms of the total number of rockets launched into it into space.

"Free"

The "Svobodny" spaceport is located in the Amur Region. It has been in operation since 1996. This cosmodrome of Russia has an area of 410 square meters. Km, and has infrastructure for the launch of light and medium-range missiles. It is interesting that the construction of Svobodny was initiated due to the fact that after the collapse of the USSR the main Soviet cosmodrome Baikonur was outside the Russian Federation, and the leaders of the Russian space program decided that the state needed its object of appropriate designation. In practice, at that time, the easternmost cosmodrome of Russia, after the start of the operation, was involved, in particular, for the purpose of testing launches of ballistic missiles, such as Topol. Now it is practically not actively used, this is largely due to the fact that a new object is being built in the Far East - the Vostochny cosmodrome. Let us consider, in turn, the basic information about it.

"Oriental"

This is the newest and most eastern cosmodrome in Russia. It began to be built 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 for the specificity of the new facility.

It is calculated that the most eastern space center under construction in Russia will occupy an area of 1035 square meters. Km. Its creation is designed to solve the following major tasks: the acquisition by Russia of its own cosmodrome, adapted for launching any types of missiles, 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 social and economic programs, and the construction of the relevant facility here is considered as one of the most significant factors for the successful implementation of these initiatives.

"Vostochny" is a spaceport of Russia, which has a number of advantages, in particular, in front of "Baikonur". For example, the missile flights routes that will be launched from here are located outside the densely populated territories of the Russian Federation, as well as foreign states - such are laid over neutral waters. In addition, the significant factor is where the cosmodrome in Russia is located - namely, in close proximity to the developed transport infrastructure. This makes the exploitation of the "East" particularly cost-effective. At the same time, some experts also highlight a number of shortcomings in the design of the relevant facility of the Russian space program. First of all, the fact that "Vostochny" is located 6 degrees north of the "Baikonur" is noted - therefore, the total payload that is output into space will be slightly lower at the Russian cosmodrome.

When will the launches start from the East?

When will the most eastern Russian cosmodrome be opened and operated?

Initially, it was assumed that the first launch of the missile from the relevant facility would be carried out at the end of 2015. But at the moment it is postponed to 2016. With regard to the launch of a manned spacecraft from the "Eastern" - the first to be held in 2016. Staff of the new Russian cosmodrome will live in Uglegorsk, which is located in the Amur region - in close proximity to the object under construction. In the same city will be located administrative authorities of the "Eastern". By the way, some of the infrastructure facilities of the cosmodrome may be built outside the Amur region. It is assumed that from the "Eastern" it will be possible to launch missiles of virtually any type - light, medium and heavy - such as, for example, "Angara", whose successful tests were conducted in Russia in 2014.

Summary

Thus, modern cosmodromes of Russia are represented by 5 active objects - one of them can be considered to be "Free" so far, because it still has infrastructure, and one under construction. They are located in different parts of Russia - in the south of the European part of the country, in the north, in the Far East. The largest cosmodrome, involved in the Russian space program, is located in Kazakhstan. Soon he will share his functions, which are expressed in the implementation of launches of all the claimed types of missiles, with the spaceport "Vostochny", which is being built in the Amur region.