Author Topic: Why Vostochniy?  (Read 2152 times)

Offline Proponent

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7277
  • Liked: 2782
  • Likes Given: 1462
Why Vostochniy?
« on: 10/01/2017 12:37 pm »
As I understand it, the new Vostochniy kosmodrome is intended to reduce Russia's reliance on Baikonur, which, following the break-up of the Soviet Union, is now located the foreign country of Kazakhstan.

But is it not the case the Svobodniy kosmodrome, not far (by Russian standards, anyway) Vostochniy had been deactivated just a few years before Vostochniy was begun?  If so, was any consideration given to re-activating Svobodniy rather than starting over at Vostochniy?

Online Galactic Penguin SST

Re: Why Vostochniy?
« Reply #1 on: 10/01/2017 02:07 pm »
As I understand it, the new Vostochniy kosmodrome is intended to reduce Russia's reliance on Baikonur, which, following the break-up of the Soviet Union, is now located the foreign country of Kazakhstan.

But is it not the case the Svobodniy kosmodrome, not far (by Russian standards, anyway) Vostochniy had been deactivated just a few years before Vostochniy was begun?  If so, was any consideration given to re-activating Svobodniy rather than starting over at Vostochniy?

Uhh they are one and the same.  ;)
Astronomy & spaceflight geek penguin. In a relationship w/ Space Shuttle Discovery. Current Priority: Chasing the Chinese Spaceflight Wonder Egg & A Certain Chinese Mars Rover

Offline russianhalo117

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8755
  • Liked: 4673
  • Likes Given: 768
Re: Why Vostochniy?
« Reply #2 on: 10/01/2017 07:16 pm »
As I understand it, the new Vostochniy kosmodrome is intended to reduce Russia's reliance on Baikonur, which, following the break-up of the Soviet Union, is now located the foreign country of Kazakhstan.

But is it not the case the Svobodniy kosmodrome, not far (by Russian standards, anyway) Vostochniy had been deactivated just a few years before Vostochniy was begun?  If so, was any consideration given to re-activating Svobodniy rather than starting over at Vostochniy?
The two differently named cosmodromes are on the same tracts of land. Svobodniy is the military name of the base and when Roscosmos and its fellow corporations received direct control it was renamed Vostochniy to separate it from its military past.

Offline Arch Admiral

  • Full Member
  • *
  • Posts: 136
  • 14th Naval District
  • Liked: 113
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Why Vostochniy?
« Reply #3 on: 10/02/2017 02:38 am »
The Svobodniy "Cosmodrome" was just the old Svobodniy-18 base operated by the Rocket Forces of Strategic Designation. Some of the old light ICBM silos were preserved after the deactivation of the 27th Rocket Division. The intention was to launch satellites on "Rockot" boosters from these silos, but this was never done.  Instead a few launches were made with "Start-1" boosters from mobile ICBM launch trucks parked in a forest clearing. One of the buildings in the old nuclear warhead inspection & maintenance compound was used for payload prep, and a dirt road was bulldozed to the clearing though the old security fencing. These minor changes don't make a "Cosmodrome" by my definition.

On the other hand, Vostochniy is a real launch site with massive construction work. The Soyuz launch facilities are better than those at Baikonur and Plesetsk. The old military housing is gradually being supplemented with new apartments, and a whole new industrial area is going up. They are even starting on an airport so the boosters and spacecraft won't have to arrive on the old Trans-Siberian Railroad with its narrow tunnels.

The only problem is that by the time the whole thing is finished, the Soyuz family is supposed to be replaced by Angara 1.2 and the whole process will have to be started over...

Tags:
 

Advertisement NovaTech
Advertisement Northrop Grumman
Advertisement
Advertisement Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island
Advertisement Brady Kenniston
Advertisement NextSpaceflight
Advertisement Nathan Barker Photography
0