The Vostochny Cosmodrome (Russian: Космодром Восточный Kosmodrom Vostochny "Eastern Spaceport") is a planned Russian spaceport, to be located at 51 degrees north in the Amur Oblast, in the Russian Far East. It is intended to reduce Russia's dependency on the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which is located in Kazakhstan. Construction is expected to begin in 2011 and to be completed in 2018. Construction There are plans to build seven launch pads at the site, including two for manned flights and two for space freighters. An inter-agency working group for managing the construction has been created, and work to design elements of the cosmodrome's infrastructure is in progress. Construction will begin in 2011, and is expected to be completed by 2018. Vostochny's geographic location means that, to a given orbit, rockets will be able to carry almost the same amount of payload, as they can when launched from Baikonur. Purpose. The new cosmodrome will enable Russia to launch all missions from its own soil, and to reduce Russia's dependency on the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazahkstan. Currently, Baikonur is the only launch site operated by Russia with capability to launch manned flights and satellites to geostationary orbit. The Russian government pays a yearly rent of $115 million to Kazakhstan for its usage. Unmanned payloads to low earth orbit can be currently also be launched from Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northwestern Russia. The new site is intended mostly for civilian launches. Economical ...

• published: 01 Jan 2011
• views: 10406
• author: TyphoonUSSR