Baikonur

The Baikonur cosmodrome spreads over several thousand square kilometres of desert steppe north of the Syr Darya, and it is where Sputnik went up in 1957 and Gagarin in 1961, which makes it the oldest and still the largest working launch site in the world. The site and the adjoining town are leased by Kazakhstan to Russia and administered separately from the surrounding country, which is why visiting is not a matter of turning up: access requires an approved tour operator, permits applied for months in advance, and passport details submitted for clearance. Tours cover launch pads including Gagarin's Start, the assembly buildings, the museum, and, when timing allows, a launch viewed from a distance.

History

The original Baikonur, Kazakh for "wealthy brown", a fertile land with many herbs, is a mining town about 320 kilometres to the north-east, and the launch site took its name before the Vostok 1 flight of April 1961 (Wikipedia, Baikonur).

Highlights

• Gagarin's Start - the pad used for the first crewed flight.
• Assembly buildings - the halls where launch vehicles are prepared.
• The cosmodrome museum - the collections and the preserved Buran shuttle.
• A launch - viewed from a designated distance when the schedule allows.

When to go

April to May and September to October for bearable weather; the steppe is extremely hot in summer and severely cold in winter. Tours are usually built around launch dates, which slip frequently.

What to expect

Permits take months and are sometimes refused; independent visits are not possible. Launch schedules change and trips are built around dates that move. Photography is restricted in many areas. Costs are high and the town has limited facilities.

Nearby

Kyzylorda lies east; the Aral basin is northwest.

Key facts