Vostochny, Russia (VOR) Apr 04, 2011
The Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Amur Region is slated to become Russia's major spaceport, with nearly half of the space launches planned to be carried out from it after 2020, the Russian Space Agency reports.
The Vostochny space launch facility will be built in addition to the currently operational Plesetsk and Baikonur space launch facilities which are insufficient to satisfy Russia's growing needs in space exploration. Construction will begin in summer 2011. Vostochny will embrace about 1,500 facilities, including 2 space launch pads, a training and a medical center and an hydrogen and oxygen plant. The first launches are planned for 2015.
The new spaceport will be built on the basis of the experience accumulated during the construction of the Kourou space launch facility in French Guiana and the launch pad in South Korea. Anatoly Perminov, the President of Russia's Roskosmos Corporation, comments.
It's important for Russia to use its previous experience in building space facilities and to apply whatever new methods it has acquired for the Vostochny Cosmodrome.
Moscow architect Dmitry Pshenichnikov believes that the look of the city adjacent to the cosmodrome should reflect a harmonious combination of architecture and nature.
Russia has a chance of creating something entirely new, something which no other countries have ever had. This is not just an innovation hub or a number of launch pads with engineering facilities - it's a brand new living environment.
The city will be home to 35,000 people. Besides, there will be tourists, coming from Russia and all over the world. The two space launch pads will house the launches of different-type spacecraft but their impact zones will not stretch to trespass on areas that belong to other countries or that are reserved for fishing, navigation or the mining of natural resources. And since the project stipulates a runway for shuttles, Vostochny is bound to become a haven for reusable manned space vehicles.
As he addressed an innovation congress in the Amur Region on the 50th anniversary of Gagarin's flight, Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko said that his colleagues are getting ready for Vostochny flights and that he personally was hoping to fly from the new cosmodrome in the future. Romanenko, who was awarded the title of Hero of Russia, is getting ready for his second flight to the ISS scheduled for 2012.
Starting from 2020, the Vostochny Cosmodrome is expected to account for 45% of the space launches, the Plesetsk space launch facility will accommodate 44% of flights and Baikonur in Kazakhstan will host only 11% of takeoffs.
The Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Amur Region is slated to become Russia's major spaceport, with nearly half of the space launches planned to be carried out from it after 2020, the Russian Space Agency reports.
The Vostochny space launch facility will be built in addition to the currently operational Plesetsk and Baikonur space launch facilities which are insufficient to satisfy Russia's growing needs in space exploration. Construction will begin in summer 2011. Vostochny will embrace about 1,500 facilities, including 2 space launch pads, a training and a medical center and an hydrogen and oxygen plant. The first launches are planned for 2015.
The new spaceport will be built on the basis of the experience accumulated during the construction of the Kourou space launch facility in French Guiana and the launch pad in South Korea. Anatoly Perminov, the President of Russia's Roskosmos Corporation, comments.
It's important for Russia to use its previous experience in building space facilities and to apply whatever new methods it has acquired for the Vostochny Cosmodrome.
Moscow architect Dmitry Pshenichnikov believes that the look of the city adjacent to the cosmodrome should reflect a harmonious combination of architecture and nature.
Russia has a chance of creating something entirely new, something which no other countries have ever had. This is not just an innovation hub or a number of launch pads with engineering facilities - it's a brand new living environment.
The city will be home to 35,000 people. Besides, there will be tourists, coming from Russia and all over the world. The two space launch pads will house the launches of different-type spacecraft but their impact zones will not stretch to trespass on areas that belong to other countries or that are reserved for fishing, navigation or the mining of natural resources. And since the project stipulates a runway for shuttles, Vostochny is bound to become a haven for reusable manned space vehicles.
As he addressed an innovation congress in the Amur Region on the 50th anniversary of Gagarin's flight, Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko said that his colleagues are getting ready for Vostochny flights and that he personally was hoping to fly from the new cosmodrome in the future. Romanenko, who was awarded the title of Hero of Russia, is getting ready for his second flight to the ISS scheduled for 2012.
Starting from 2020, the Vostochny Cosmodrome is expected to account for 45% of the space launches, the Plesetsk space launch facility will accommodate 44% of flights and Baikonur in Kazakhstan will host only 11% of takeoffs.