Vostochny – the future of Russian cosmonautics!
Vostochny is not only Russia’s confident step towards a new more accessible space, but also new prospects for the development of the rocket and space industry, strengthening Russia’s status as one of the world’s leading space powers, ensuring guaranteed and independent access to space from its territory, using space resources in the interests of developing the socio-economic sphere and science, national security and international cooperation. Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of November 6, 2007 “About the Vostochny cosmodrome, marked the beginning of the country’s largest national project, in which the creation of a new domestic cosmodrome is a task of special importance.”
Previously, the site of the Vostochny was occupied by the Svobodny test cosmodrome, now disbanded, located near the closed military settlement of Uglegorsk. In 2007, the spaceport ceased to exist to become a site for a new, more modern civil facility. Despite the fact that the construction of Vostochny has not yet been completed, the cosmodrome successfully operates under the launch minimum scheme. The first stage of construction started in 2012 and just a few years later – on April 28, 2016 – Vostochny was marked by a successful launch of a space rocket, which determined it to be an active cosmodrome and recognized the work of its creators and veterans of the rocket and space industry at the state level.
In the future, a launch pad for Angara rocket is going to be built here. The first launch of the Russian heavy rocket “Angara-A5M” is planned to be carried out from the Vostochny cosmodrome in 2021. Construction of the third launch complex for a super-heavy-class launch vehicle is also planned at the Vostochny cosmodrome. It will be possible to perform up to four launches per year of heavy-class launch vehicles from Vostochny after its completion. The launch pad for the heavy rocket will be built according to the principles implemented for the Energia launch facility at Baikonur. This will be a universal stand-start system that can launch both medium-class Soyuz-5 launch vehicles and several rocket blocks combined in a “package”, which will allow assembling carriers of different load capacities, including a super-heavy rocket.
An all type aircraft airport is planned to be built just 10 kilometers from the launch pad of cosmodrome by 2021, and it will be able to even accept reusable space shuttles. On the territory of the cosmodrome, guests will have to make the same path as the rocket, though not by the railway (rocket components and payloads arrive at the cosmodrome by railroad), but on the highway instead – one of the best in the region. The facilities that tourists visit are concentrated on two sites – at the launch and technical complexes (“start” and “technichka”).