Have you ever dreamed of seeing the real spaceport, astronauts and spaceships? Welcome to Baikonur, the place where you can realize your dream and discover a spectacular space journey! The Baikonur Cosmodrome is the world's first and largest spaceport of international importance. It is located near the village of Tyuratam in the Kyzylorda Region, in the territory of Kazakhstan. Many people get confused when it comes to Baikonur because they think it belongs to Russian territory. However, it is important to clarify that it is rented to Russia until 2050. The total area of the cosmodrome is 6,717 square kilometers.
History of the Baikonur Cosmodrome
First of all, "Baikonur" in Kazakh means "a rich valley", which is funny because Baikonur is actually surrounded by desert. The history and construction of the Baikonur Cosmodrome began on January 12, 1955, and was finished in 1957. In the period between the 1970s and the 1980s, it was the largest cosmodrome of the Soviet Union.
Baikonur Cosmodrome
KazakhstanBaikonur: the place of space pioneers
Baikonur is actually the place of space pioneers. Here's why:
The world's first artificial satellite (4 October 1957) and the world's first artificial satellites of the Sun, Moon and Venus were launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
The first human spaceflight was launched from Baikonur (April 12, 1961 - the flight of Yu.A. Gagarin on the Vostok 1 spacecraft).
The cosmodrome today
Today, the Baikonur Cosmodrome is the main space haven of Kazakhstan, that opened to the world the way to the scientific and technological progress. Most importantly, Baikonur opened to humanity the road to space.
Space tours
Roscosmos, a Russian state corporation in charge of space flights and cosmonautical programs, organizes exclusive tours to the Baikonur Cosmodrome. This tour will give you unforgettable impressions and emotions because you will have the opportunity not only to visit the famous cosmodrome, launch sites, assembly and test buildings, museums and historical monuments but also to observe all the stages of a preparation for the launch. You will see a rocket removal and its installation, observe the real astronauts at the cosmodrome and the official report of the crew, feel the pre-launch excitement. At the end, if you are lucky to be there on a particular day, you will find an incredible spectacle - the start of a flight of a spaceship or a satellite. Moreover, here you can choose and name the real star in space.
The prices for this space journey start from 270,000 tenges (about 628 euro) per person. The price is not low, but it includes many things such as an English-speaking translator, meals, accommodation (two days and three nights), permission from Roscosmos, excursions, and transfer.
Baikonur can be a very interesting place to discover for everyone regardless of age. In Baikonur, space is near, and you will always remember this spectacular space journey!
The author
Heewon Jang
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