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Cosmodrome on Zeya River

The construction of a future launching site of Russia is in full swing in the Amur Region. The construction equipment works simultaneously in several sites 24 hours a day. The launching complex, control center, and apartment houses of a new micro-district are taking a real form. The first launch of carrier rocket is scheduled for 2015.
The Amur Region. A future Vostochny Cosmodrome. In these parts winter has been a hostess long ago. The temperature is twenty degrees below zero. However these severe conditions are not a hindrance. The work is being carried day and night. Dmitry Rogozin, Vice-Premier of Government and Oleg Ostapenko, Head of ROSCOSMOS on the eve of New Year visited the Vostochny Cosmodrome. A special attention paid to the construction is not accidental. Vostochny is of particular importance for the country.
„Objectively the cosmonautics will move towards east. Here are the ocean and other space powers possessing their own launching sites,“ says Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin.
Today there are more than twenty launching sites worldwide. Our eastern neighbor Chine has three launching sites. However Russia still has the palm in space launching. Even in spite of the fact that Russia has to rent the sites at Baikonur. The primary task is not to lose these positions in future. The necessity of constructing a new up-to-date cosmodrome as Vostochny will be is quite obvious.
Reference
— Vostochny Cosmodrome is one of the most significant projects of Russia.
— On November 2007, President of Russia signed a Decree on the creation of launch site in the Amur Region.
— Since 2008 till 2010, preliminary design and exploration works have been conducted.
— The foundation stone to celebrate the beginning of the Vostochny Cosmodrome construction was laid in August 2010.
— The first launch of carrier rocket is scheduled for 2015.
— The first launch of manned space vehicle from Vostochny is scheduled in 2018.
These parts looked wild several years ago. There was impassable taiga around. There the first stone of future cosmodrome is. There December of this 2013 is. The site from which the first Soyuz-2 rockets will start. Unlike apartment houses, when constructing the cosmodrome, all calculations imply the security.“We are in the facility – control center where executive personnel in charge of launch will be located,“ says Sergey Kulikov, Deputy Construction Chief.
One of the most important facilities of Vostochny. A future control center. From here the first words „Key to start“ will sound. The walls of the building are not only concrete, armored, inside is iron lattice. „The wall thickness is 600mm plus a twill lattice that provides a high degree of safety,“ tells Sergey Kulikov.
During the start, tons of propellant are consumed per second. The efflux temperature is more than three thousand of degrees. As rocketeers say, concrete is fused. Although the control center is one kilometer distant from the launching pad, the load on the building constructions is enormous.
The launching complex, assemble & test building, rooms for preflight training of cosmonauts, oxygen-nitrogen and hydrogen plants, branch line, and airport are only the part of the significant facilities which will be called by one word — cosmodrome.
„Anyone taking part in construction of this cosmodrome is proud of and bears responsibility,“ considers Pavel Buyanovsky, Deputy Chief of FGUP „GUSS Dalspetsstroy“.
The first launch from a new cosmodrome is scheduled for the end of 2015. The Soyuz-2 rocket will place a scientific satellite into orbit. The latest Angara rocket will also start from Vostochny Cosmodrome. This is the family of prospective space-launch vehicles having a modular design. It is assembled like matreshka from light to heavy version of the rocket. Angara will use environmentally friendly fuel based on kerosene and liquid oxygen. It is Angara that will replace the manned Soyuz and become a main carrier of cosmonauts to orbit. One of the main merits of Vostochny is its optimal location. According to the calculations of specialists in ballistics, only the first stage will touch down the land, the remaining – the ocean. Hence, most launching pads of the world are located not far from sea-coast.
The new cosmodrome will become not only the site of vehicle launching. A modern space center will appear alongside. Design offices, assembly facilities, research laboratories, and TV studios for broadcasting carrier rocket launching. „We are constructing new buildings for the future of the Russian cosmonautics in open field and everything will be new here. It will be a new modern beautiful city,“ says Sergey Makarov, Acting Chief of FGUP „Spetsstroytekhnologii.
This is a foundation pit for apartment houses. Those who will work at the cosmodrome will settle down here. The first 17 houses will be delivered in summer 2015. Vice Premier emphasized it must be not only a settlement, but a science city. It has already received the name in honor of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, founding father of the home cosmonautics.
„ I want everybody to hear it. When we speak about the cosmodrome then we speak first of all about people rather than machines. For those who may come here, will leave for the east of the country we must do everything to make it attractive — for example, scientific center – it should be attractive center,“ considers Dmitry Rogozin, Deputy Premier.
Here is a cultural object and memorable exhibit of future space center. A real reentry capsule in which the Russian space pilot Roman Romanenko returned to Earth from orbit. Roman has already been here, in the Amur Region. He has first-hand knowledge of the natural wealth of this land. „Here are beautiful surroundings. Fish, mushrooms, berries — all a cosmonaut needs to improve his health before flight,“ tells Romanenko.
The ceremony of putting up a monument was held in Uglegorsk.

TV studio of ROSCOSMOS

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