Why do rockets launch from kazakhstan

Today, the site is heavily used for Soyuz astronaut launches to the International Space Station. The site has mostly been used to launch Soviet Union and Russian cosmonauts, but after the Cold War cooled, some American and European astronauts started to launch there as well. After the space shuttle program retired in , NASA shifted to having all of its astronauts fly from Baikonur until the new Commercial Crew Program is ready to launch astronauts.

Test flights for the program are currently expected in or , so around the s fewer American launches are expected from Baikonur.

Russia has also built a new launch site, Vostochny, which is eventually expected to take over many of the launches of Baikonur. Baikonur, although it is located in Kazakhstan, is an enclave of Russian territory. While operations continue at Baikonur, the two countries have had some disputes over how to manage the space complex over the decades. To this day, Baikonur remains somewhat remote. It is 1, miles 2, kilometers from Moscow.

The launch complex is on a desert steppe east of the Aral Sea. The region is known for its harsh climate, and was mainly chosen because of its advantage for radio communications — as well as its remoteness, according to Russian journalist and space historian Anatoly Zak. In fact, the launch complex is about kilometers miles southwest of the mining town near Tyuratam in Kazakhstan. This misrepresentation was done intentionally to hide the actual location of the launch complex.

Although the true location is now known, the launch complex is still referred to as Baikonur. Baikonur's origins came with the Soviet desire to launch intercontinental ballistic missiles; the extended range and tracking system required did not fit existing Soviet facilities at the time. A site search was conducted in high secrecy and has only been revealed in recent decades to people such as Zak, who pieced together the area's early history through reading documents and doing interviews.

The reasons for choosing what is now known as Baikonur are complex, but one major factor according to Zak appears to be the existence of a rail spur connected with what was then called the Kazakhstanskaya Railroad. This allowed for building materials, and later the rockets themselves, to be transported to the site. Construction started in in high secrecy; by , the United States was aware of an ICBM site in the area and had U-2 aircraft scanning the zone, Zak says. The first successful space launch from Baikonur is also the first successful space launch of a satellite — Sputnik-1 , which left Earth on Oct.

The cosmodrome only officially received the name "Baikonur," however, after cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin went into space on April 12, — also a world first.

Rather than reveal the location of the facility, the Soviet Union achieved its world record by telling the International Aviation Federation that it had launched from the town of Baikonur , Zak says. Prior to Gagarin's flight, Baikonur was host to the worst launch pad failure in history, known informally as the Nedelin Catastrophe after a high-ranking Soviet official who was killed in the disaster. It happened when an R missile detonated on the pad due to various factors including skipped safety checks and a rushed launch schedule and killed an estimated people on Oct.

The incident was kept secret for decades, even from the families of disaster victims. Now, most space crews leave from Baikonur, with the exception of the Chinese, who have their own separate launch facilities. But that will change in the coming years.

The SpaceX commercial crew program will likely see its first test flights in or , allowing American astronauts to once again launch from U. And Baikonur may also fade from Russian importance after the lease expires in , according to Space. Another cosmodrome, called Vostochny, is already under construction in Russia, and the country eventually aims to launch crewed missions from that site, although the exact timing hasn't been disclosed.

Live Science. It was tracking a Soyuz rocket, a guide explained. Vostochny has launched some unmanned rockets but has experienced serious delays amid repeated corruption and labor scandals. It is now behind schedule to take over launches from Baikonur. These stumbling efforts have been overseen by Dmitry Rogozin, who heads Roscosmos.

Rogozin is a sanctioned former deputy prime minister and nationalist politician who is a long-time Putin ally. Known for his pugilistic style and occasional anti-American outbursts , Rogozin has argued that bold long-term proposals are needed to pull Roscosmos out of its malaise.

Last month, Roscosmos officials suggested that Russian astronauts would land on the moon by and that parts of the base could be brought there in the late s.

Corruption has eaten into its manufacturing and assembling processes, with a string of rocket failures linked to problems with parts. Following a crash of a Proton rocket, Roscosmos had to send back 70 engines for review over concern about faulty components.

The relationship has also been vulnerable to outbursts from Rogozin, who was sanctioned over his role in Russia's seizure of Crimea. This fall, Rogozin suggested, without evidence, that a hole found in a Russian module of the ISS could have been deliberately drilled by one of the astronauts aboard, a claim that NASA quickly knocked down. The world community is vividly watching both victories and accidents associated with launches from the complex.

As reported in the European press, after every serious incident, Kazakhstani president decides to suspend the launches. The actions of. President Nazarbayev in this situation can be considered legitimate, since it is a question of guaranteeing the security of his state and its citizens.

The presence on the Kazakh territory of the legendary Russian Cosmodrome is a constant source of tension, which poisons the already not brilliant relations between the two countries.

Indeed, the launch was canceled. They want to get the right to participate in the management of the Cosmodrome, in particular in the matter of reducing risks. And, of course, they need more money. Two missiles are now being sent to Guiana, and the first launch is scheduled for The european space agency and Roskosmos signed a treaty allowing Russia to use the Guiana space center. Being located much closer to the equator, the French Cosmodrome makes it possible to put into orbit much more massive satellites.

And this will make Baikonur less. What conclusion can be drawn from this? The space connections between Kazakhstan and Russia are viewed by the European analysts in the most favorable light. The Cosmodrome is perceived negatively. Also, one cannot agree with the opinion that there are strained relations between Kazakhstan and Russia for this period of time. As for the opinion of Kazakh analysts, there is a very different trend. The Kazakh journalist regards the Cosmodrome as a link in integration system.

First, it determines what Kazakhstan is now and proposes to combine all the available positive components into a kind of strategy, the implementation of which in the future will give a great potential in development, and will serve the benefit.

The main idea of this strategy is to turn Baikonur into an international space harbor. To this end, Berkimbaev proposes a program that requires the creation of 4 autonomous sectors on the territory of the present complex, from which the launches of space vehicles of various countries will be carried out Berkimbaev, et al.

The Kazakh analyst believes that the states of the western hemisphere, firstly, are economically disadvantaged in this project, and secondly, in the near future, a Cosmodrome that can be used by all Latin American countries. It is impossible not to agree with the opinion, since the use of Russia as a sole Cosmodrome, makes it a kind of.

Kazakhstan is to some extent dependent. The countries listed above have large financial resources and rich scientific and technical potential. Already, the development of science in these countries is largely related to space and space technologies. In the future this direction will only intensify. The above mentioned facts and possible interest on the part of financially secured and scientifically developed countries makes the project of the development of Kazakhstani space program quite viable.

At the initial stage, simple levying of rent for land and for each space launch will be made. We agree with the opinion that the implementation of this project will make our country competitive, not dependent only on natural resources. Kazakhstan has already appeared as a state that has abandoned nuclear weapons. It is likely that, in the future, Kazakhstan with its space programs can conquer those positions in the world that Switzerland currently occupies in the banking business, that is, the status of a neutral country, free from wars and armed conflicts, necessary for all mankind in the development of space programs.

However, it is too early to speak about the speedy implementation of the program. The opinion of Russian analysts on the problems of the Cosmodrome is far to be optimistic. At first glance, it seems that Russia should support Kazakhstan in every possible way due to the joint history.

In addition, Russia is one of the main partners of Kazakhstan in the international arena. The Roskosmos is assured that today there is no alternative to Baikonur. Cosmodrome and the complex as a whole. Rosaviakosmos does not exclude in the future the possibility of parallel operation of both Cosmodromes simultaneously. Plans, as we see, are optimistic and friendly. However, it is not a fact that the Kazakh side will let them come true. This will happen for a purely trivial for Russia reasons - ecological.

For Moscow Baikonur is also a lucrative business. In Russia ranked first in the world in terms of the number of commercial launches. The list of Roskosmos customers for commercial launches is impressive: from the European aerospace and defense concern, aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus to Japanese Mitsubishi.

After the above-mentioned accidents, in and Astana announced a two-month moratorium on launches. However, the Russian space agency defended its position on the harmlessness of the heptyl accident. As a result, three years later, the negotiations between both states ended without determining the amount of environmental damage.

There are also negative opinions on the exploitation of Baikonur by Russia. According for Kazakhstan Baikonur is also not justified hopes for participation in space projects. According to Kazkosmos made in the Senate in , to give up completely from cooperation with Russia to modernize the Cosmodrome in favor of the proposals of Ukraine or France, the committee did not give the possibility of a half-century lease.

Moscow declares about expansion of cooperation with Astana on Baikonur. This official position was recently announced on the site of the Eurasian economic community. However, such statements do not attach such an encouraging tone to complex bilateral relations.

Among Kazakh analysts and politicians, there is a split of opinions on cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia in using the complex. I say with all responsibility that the recent events connected with the Vostochniy Cosmodrome and the development of Russian military- industrial complex have shown two things: first, it is technologically and scientifically backward, the second is the corruption inherent in authoritarian regimes. The world is developing. Ilon Mask outstripped the former Soviet Union with its nuclear and space potential for years to come.

Do we need such an expensive content, rather archaic in use, an ecologically very dangerous complex? I think we need a political solution. But for this, we must solve the most important issue - the lease agreement of Baikonur by Russia, which was signed on bonded terms.

It was signed under Yeltsin, where did the figure of million dollars come from? Eleusizov adheres to the opposite point of view, he links the viability of Baikonur exclusively with Russia Eleusizov, The opinion of the politician is ready to be challenged by the president of the Union of Scientists of Kazakhstan O. Sabden, he believes that the reason for the unilateral use of Baikonur by Russia lies rather not in financing, but in playing the position of Astana in negotiations with Moscow.

The Kazakh side, according to the politician, is making unjustified concessions in intergovernmental meetings. Speaking about the future of Baikonur, Sabden is sure that it is necessary to search for a compromise solution and develop further relations with Russia not on a rental basis, but on the condition of equal cooperation Sabden, Relations of the Russia and the Kazakhstan are rarely example of cooperation of two states which due to will of geopolitical factors, history, cultural proximity have become allies.

Unfortunately, recently this term in respect to external partners of Russian Federation which is rather often used in the propaganda purposes to underline rather intention than a real situation.

Concerning Kazakhstan the ally idea, it also reflects quirk of interests on a number of the main issues and interdependence. In the military-political, economic, cultural fields we may understand cooperation of two states. The analysis of the problems arising during the implementation of Russian-Kazakhstan cooperation in the exploration of outer space is given, which has the practical importance for the exploration of outer space by both the Russia and Kazakhstan.

The Baikonur Cosmodrome is directly connected with the close cooperation of the two states-Russia and Kazakhstan. As we have already noted, the origins of the Cosmodrome are taken from the USSR, in view of the territorial location of the complex, Kazakhstan became the heir to the. However, due to objective reasons lack of own space programs, scientific and technical personnel, necessary financing not only for the launch, but for the maintenance of the complex, etc. And the most optimal solution of that time was the provision of Baikonur in long-term lease of Russia.

This has saved the unique Cosmodrome, which has great international significance, taking into account the fact that in the modern world, the space problem is given utmost importance. Russia has military bases in two states Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan , and in Kazakhstan, it rents several test grounds and the Baikonur Space Complex.