Baikonur Cosmodrome celebrates its 70th anniversary

Today marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of Baikonur, the world's first and largest spaceport, which played a key role in the development of manned spaceflight and became a symbol of international cooperation in space exploration.

It was on 2 June 1955 that the organisational and staffing structure of the research and testing site was approved. Just two years later, the first R-7 rocket was launched from Baikonur, followed by the launch of the world’s first artificial satellite on October 4, 1957. On 12 April 1961, Yuri Gagarin made his historic journey into space from this very site.

Today, large-scale celebrations are being held in honour of the cosmodrome's anniversary. The Roscosmos delegation is headed by Director General Dmitry Bakanov. An open-air museum has opened in the city of Baikonur, featuring legendary examples of rocket and space technology, including the Vostok, Proton-M, Cyclone and N-1 launch vehicles, the Almaz space station and the Foton-M4 descent module.

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated the employees and veterans of the cosmodrome on the anniversary, noting that its creation was a feat, a symbol of unity and a scientific breakthrough. He emphasised the international significance of the site, calling it one of the brightest pillars of the Russian-Kazakh partnership.

"In short, it is symbolic that the cosmodrome was named Baikonur, which translates from Kazakh as 'rich land’. The cosmodrome's contribution to international scientific and technological progress is truly immense and cannot be overestimated," the President said.

Over the past 70 years, Baikonur’s launch pads have sent astronauts from dozens of countries into space, including Cuba, India, Vietnam, Brazil, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

In 1980, Cuban Arnaldo Tamayo Mendez became the first cosmonaut from Latin America, launching from Baikonur aboard Soyuz-38 crew. In 1984, Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian in space, also departing from this cosmodrome.

In 2006, Brazil's first cosmonaut, Marcos Pontes, went into space from Baikonur, completing an eight-day mission to the International Space Station. This is according to data from the Brazilian newspaper O Globo. In 2019, according to TV BRICS partner Emirates News Agency (WAM), the first representative of the UAE, Hazza Al Mansoori, took off from there.

According to another media network partner, Vietnam News Agency, the first Vietnamese cosmonaut, Pham Tuan, also began his flight from here in 1980, which was an important milestone in the development of space science in Vietnam.

Baikonur continues to be a magnet for international scientific cooperation. Work is underway to prepare an application for the inclusion of its launch complex in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Photo: Roscosmos