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| Meta Title | The Secret Backstory Behind Kazakhstan's Rocket Launch Site | Live Science |
| Meta Description | The fascinating backstory behind the cosmodrome in Kazakhstan that will launch the Expedition 56/57 crew into space on June 6. |
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| Boilerpipe Text | BAIKONUR, KAZAKHSTAN -- The Proton M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on December 11, 2011.
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
On June 6, if all goes according to plan, three people will rocket into space from a cosmodrome in Kazakhstan that has a fascinating history.
The
Expedition 56/57 crew
 includes
European Space Agency
astronaut Alexander Gerst,
NASA
astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev.
But Kazakhstan isn't known for its space program. So why does the country have a large space facility known as the Baikonur Cosmodrome? And why are American and European space explorers launching from that site? [
Interstellar Space Travel: 7 Futuristic Spacecraft to Explore the Cosmos
]
Article continues below
Latest Videos From Live Science
It turns out, there's an intriguing backstory.
For most of its existence, the Kazakh cosmodrome was a secret site whose location was unknown in the West. It was built at the height of the Cold War in the 1950s, when Russia was part of the Soviet Union and the Space Age was just starting. The Soviets
built a secret space facility that they called Baikonur
, to make the West think the site was near a small mining town that shared that name. In reality, however, Baikonur was built near another town, called Tyuratam in what was then the ; the Soviets wanted to mask its true location for security reasons,
according to Space.com
, a Live Science sister site
.
In fact,
the first person in space
, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on April 12, 1961. For decades, the Soviets launched all their crews, space stations and even a Russian space shuttle (called
Buran
) from Baikonur.
Post-Soviet era
But with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, everything changed.
Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.
Kazakhstan
 was an independent country. It wasn't clear if and when the Russians could launch their cosmonauts again (They had one other launch pad to the north, but it couldn't be used for most of their missions because of the orbital dynamics from that location.) Worse, Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev was still stuck on the Mir space station;
he remained in space for several extra months
 while the two countries negotiated over the future of Baikonur.
Ultimately, the solution was a lease agreement. Today, the Russians lease the Baikonur Cosmodrome from Kazakhstan for roughly $7 billion Russian rubles ($115 million) a year. Baikonur is a special enclave of Russian territory within Kazakhstan, meaning that foreign visitors are permitted with a Russian visa,
Space.com reported
.
By 1991, Baikonur's true location was known to the world. And Americans feared what could happen to that area of the world if Russia's nascent economy collapsed,
the New York Times reported
. To support Russia while benefiting from its space station, NASA agreed to a shuttle-Mir program, which paid Russia to host American astronauts on the Mir
space station
, Space.com reported.
The first American to fly into space on a Russian spacecraft, a Soyuz rocket, was Norman Thagard, in 1995. (The Soyuz is manufactured in Russia but launches from Kazakhstan after being brought there by rail.)
This partnership helped Russia and the United States practice training and launching astronauts together ahead of the launch of the
International Space Station
, which had its first construction flight in 1998. The number of Americans riding Soyuz rockets greatly increased beginning in 2011, with the retirement of NASA's space shuttle program, and NASA still relies on Russian rockets to get its crews to the International Space Station and will do so until the agency's next-generation
commercial crew vehicles
 are ready.(Now, most space crews leave from Baikonur, with the exception of the Chinese, who have their own separate launch facilities.)
But that will change in the coming years. The
SpaceX
 commercial crew program will
likely see its first test flights in 2018 or 2019
, allowing American astronauts to once again launch from U.S. soil. And Baikonur may also fade from Russian importance after the lease expires in 2050, according to Space.com. Another cosmodrome, called Vostochny, is already under construction in Russia, and the country eventually aims to launch crewed missions from that site, although the exact timing hasn't been disclosed.
Originally published on
Live Science
.
Elizabeth Howell was staff reporter at Space.com between 2022 and 2024 and a regular contributor to Live Science and Space.com between 2012 and 2022. Elizabeth's reporting includes multiple exclusives with the White House, speaking several times with the International Space Station, witnessing five human spaceflight launches on two continents, flying parabolic, working inside a spacesuit, and participating in a simulated Mars mission. Her latest book, "Why Am I Taller?" (ECW Press, 2022) is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams. |
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# The Secret Backstory Behind Kazakhstan's Rocket Launch Site
[News](https://www.livescience.com/news)
By [Elizabeth Howell](https://www.livescience.com/author/elizabeth-howell)
published
June 4, 2018
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. [Here’s how it works](https://www.livescience.com/about-live-science#section-affiliate-advertising-disclosure).
BAIKONUR, KAZAKHSTAN -- The Proton M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on December 11, 2011. (Image credit: Shutterstock)
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On June 6, if all goes according to plan, three people will rocket into space from a cosmodrome in Kazakhstan that has a fascinating history.
The [Expedition 56/57 crew](https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition56/index.html) includes [European Space Agency](https://www.livescience.com/tag/european-space-agency) astronaut Alexander Gerst, [NASA](https://www.livescience.com/tag/nasa) astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev.
But Kazakhstan isn't known for its space program. So why does the country have a large space facility known as the Baikonur Cosmodrome? And why are American and European space explorers launching from that site? \[[Interstellar Space Travel: 7 Futuristic Spacecraft to Explore the Cosmos](https://www.livescience.com/55981-futuristic-spacecraft-for-interstellar-space-travel.html)\]
Article continues below
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- [ Watch NASA roll its historic Artemis II moon rocket to the launch pad this weekend](https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/artemis-2-update-nasa-to-wheel-historic-11-million-pound-rocket-to-the-launch-pad-this-weekend)
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It turns out, there's an intriguing backstory.
For most of its existence, the Kazakh cosmodrome was a secret site whose location was unknown in the West. It was built at the height of the Cold War in the 1950s, when Russia was part of the Soviet Union and the Space Age was just starting. The Soviets [built a secret space facility that they called Baikonur](https://www.space.com/33947-baikonur-cosmodrome.html), to make the West think the site was near a small mining town that shared that name. In reality, however, Baikonur was built near another town, called Tyuratam in what was then the ; the Soviets wanted to mask its true location for security reasons, [according to Space.com](https://www.space.com/16159-first-man-in-space.html), a Live Science sister site**.**
In fact, [the first person in space](https://www.livescience.com/33185-yuri-gagarin-vostok-1-faq-facts.html), cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on April 12, 1961. For decades, the Soviets launched all their crews, space stations and even a Russian space shuttle (called [Buran](https://www.space.com/29159-buran-soviet-shuttle.html)) from Baikonur.
## Post-Soviet era
But with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, everything changed.
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[Kazakhstan](https://www.livescience.com/56853-photos-massive-stone-complex-kazakhstan.html) was an independent country. It wasn't clear if and when the Russians could launch their cosmonauts again (They had one other launch pad to the north, but it couldn't be used for most of their missions because of the orbital dynamics from that location.) Worse, Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev was still stuck on the Mir space station; [he remained in space for several extra months](https://www.space.com/38118-hurricanes-from-afar-astronaut-perspective.html) while the two countries negotiated over the future of Baikonur.
Ultimately, the solution was a lease agreement. Today, the Russians lease the Baikonur Cosmodrome from Kazakhstan for roughly \$7 billion Russian rubles (\$115 million) a year. Baikonur is a special enclave of Russian territory within Kazakhstan, meaning that foreign visitors are permitted with a Russian visa, [Space.com reported](https://www.space.com/33947-baikonur-cosmodrome.html).
By 1991, Baikonur's true location was known to the world. And Americans feared what could happen to that area of the world if Russia's nascent economy collapsed, [the New York Times reported](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/19/world/asia/kazakh-town-fades-its-days-of-space-glory-numbered.html). To support Russia while benefiting from its space station, NASA agreed to a shuttle-Mir program, which paid Russia to host American astronauts on the Mir [space station](https://www.livescience.com/62190-chinese-space-station-tumbles-to-earth.html), Space.com reported.
What to read next
- [ Artemis II: NASA is preparing for a return to the moon, but why is it going back?](https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/artemis-ii-nasa-is-preparing-for-a-return-to-the-moon-but-why-is-it-going-back)
- [ NASA astronauts back on Earth after unprecedented medical emergency on ISS](https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/nasa-astronauts-back-on-earth-after-unprecedented-medical-emergency-on-iss)
- [ NASA is preparing for simulated launch of Artemis II mega moon rocket — and it could happen as early as Saturday](https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/nasa-is-preparing-for-simulated-launch-of-artemis-ii-mega-moon-rocket-and-it-could-happen-as-early-as-saturday)
The first American to fly into space on a Russian spacecraft, a Soyuz rocket, was Norman Thagard, in 1995. (The Soyuz is manufactured in Russia but launches from Kazakhstan after being brought there by rail.)
This partnership helped Russia and the United States practice training and launching astronauts together ahead of the launch of the [International Space Station](https://www.livescience.com/tag/international-space-station), which had its first construction flight in 1998. The number of Americans riding Soyuz rockets greatly increased beginning in 2011, with the retirement of NASA's space shuttle program, and NASA still relies on Russian rockets to get its crews to the International Space Station and will do so until the agency's next-generation [commercial crew vehicles](https://www.livescience.com/62221-boeing-starliner-space-travel.html) are ready.(Now, most space crews leave from Baikonur, with the exception of the Chinese, who have their own separate launch facilities.)
But that will change in the coming years. The [SpaceX](https://www.livescience.com/61672-spacex-falcon-heavy.html) commercial crew program will [likely see its first test flights in 2018 or 2019](https://www.space.com/39365-spacex-commercial-crew-test-flights-delayed.html), allowing American astronauts to once again launch from U.S. soil. And Baikonur may also fade from Russian importance after the lease expires in 2050, according to Space.com. Another cosmodrome, called Vostochny, is already under construction in Russia, and the country eventually aims to launch crewed missions from that site, although the exact timing hasn't been disclosed.
*Originally published on* *[Live Science](https://www.livescience.com/62728-history-baikonur-kazakhstan-launch.html)**.*
[Elizabeth Howell](https://www.livescience.com/author/elizabeth-howell)
Live Science Contributor
Elizabeth Howell was staff reporter at Space.com between 2022 and 2024 and a regular contributor to Live Science and Space.com between 2012 and 2022. Elizabeth's reporting includes multiple exclusives with the White House, speaking several times with the International Space Station, witnessing five human spaceflight launches on two continents, flying parabolic, working inside a spacesuit, and participating in a simulated Mars mission. Her latest book, "Why Am I Taller?" (ECW Press, 2022) is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams.
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| Readable Markdown | 
BAIKONUR, KAZAKHSTAN -- The Proton M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on December 11, 2011. (Image credit: Shutterstock)
On June 6, if all goes according to plan, three people will rocket into space from a cosmodrome in Kazakhstan that has a fascinating history.
The [Expedition 56/57 crew](https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition56/index.html) includes [European Space Agency](https://www.livescience.com/tag/european-space-agency) astronaut Alexander Gerst, [NASA](https://www.livescience.com/tag/nasa) astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev.
But Kazakhstan isn't known for its space program. So why does the country have a large space facility known as the Baikonur Cosmodrome? And why are American and European space explorers launching from that site? \[[Interstellar Space Travel: 7 Futuristic Spacecraft to Explore the Cosmos](https://www.livescience.com/55981-futuristic-spacecraft-for-interstellar-space-travel.html)\]
Article continues below
Latest Videos From Live Science
It turns out, there's an intriguing backstory.
For most of its existence, the Kazakh cosmodrome was a secret site whose location was unknown in the West. It was built at the height of the Cold War in the 1950s, when Russia was part of the Soviet Union and the Space Age was just starting. The Soviets [built a secret space facility that they called Baikonur](https://www.space.com/33947-baikonur-cosmodrome.html), to make the West think the site was near a small mining town that shared that name. In reality, however, Baikonur was built near another town, called Tyuratam in what was then the ; the Soviets wanted to mask its true location for security reasons, [according to Space.com](https://www.space.com/16159-first-man-in-space.html), a Live Science sister site**.**
In fact, [the first person in space](https://www.livescience.com/33185-yuri-gagarin-vostok-1-faq-facts.html), cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on April 12, 1961. For decades, the Soviets launched all their crews, space stations and even a Russian space shuttle (called [Buran](https://www.space.com/29159-buran-soviet-shuttle.html)) from Baikonur.
## Post-Soviet era
But with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, everything changed.
Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.
[Kazakhstan](https://www.livescience.com/56853-photos-massive-stone-complex-kazakhstan.html) was an independent country. It wasn't clear if and when the Russians could launch their cosmonauts again (They had one other launch pad to the north, but it couldn't be used for most of their missions because of the orbital dynamics from that location.) Worse, Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev was still stuck on the Mir space station; [he remained in space for several extra months](https://www.space.com/38118-hurricanes-from-afar-astronaut-perspective.html) while the two countries negotiated over the future of Baikonur.
Ultimately, the solution was a lease agreement. Today, the Russians lease the Baikonur Cosmodrome from Kazakhstan for roughly \$7 billion Russian rubles (\$115 million) a year. Baikonur is a special enclave of Russian territory within Kazakhstan, meaning that foreign visitors are permitted with a Russian visa, [Space.com reported](https://www.space.com/33947-baikonur-cosmodrome.html).
By 1991, Baikonur's true location was known to the world. And Americans feared what could happen to that area of the world if Russia's nascent economy collapsed, [the New York Times reported](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/19/world/asia/kazakh-town-fades-its-days-of-space-glory-numbered.html). To support Russia while benefiting from its space station, NASA agreed to a shuttle-Mir program, which paid Russia to host American astronauts on the Mir [space station](https://www.livescience.com/62190-chinese-space-station-tumbles-to-earth.html), Space.com reported.
The first American to fly into space on a Russian spacecraft, a Soyuz rocket, was Norman Thagard, in 1995. (The Soyuz is manufactured in Russia but launches from Kazakhstan after being brought there by rail.)
This partnership helped Russia and the United States practice training and launching astronauts together ahead of the launch of the [International Space Station](https://www.livescience.com/tag/international-space-station), which had its first construction flight in 1998. The number of Americans riding Soyuz rockets greatly increased beginning in 2011, with the retirement of NASA's space shuttle program, and NASA still relies on Russian rockets to get its crews to the International Space Station and will do so until the agency's next-generation [commercial crew vehicles](https://www.livescience.com/62221-boeing-starliner-space-travel.html) are ready.(Now, most space crews leave from Baikonur, with the exception of the Chinese, who have their own separate launch facilities.)
But that will change in the coming years. The [SpaceX](https://www.livescience.com/61672-spacex-falcon-heavy.html) commercial crew program will [likely see its first test flights in 2018 or 2019](https://www.space.com/39365-spacex-commercial-crew-test-flights-delayed.html), allowing American astronauts to once again launch from U.S. soil. And Baikonur may also fade from Russian importance after the lease expires in 2050, according to Space.com. Another cosmodrome, called Vostochny, is already under construction in Russia, and the country eventually aims to launch crewed missions from that site, although the exact timing hasn't been disclosed.
*Originally published on* *[Live Science](https://www.livescience.com/62728-history-baikonur-kazakhstan-launch.html)**.*
Elizabeth Howell was staff reporter at Space.com between 2022 and 2024 and a regular contributor to Live Science and Space.com between 2012 and 2022. Elizabeth's reporting includes multiple exclusives with the White House, speaking several times with the International Space Station, witnessing five human spaceflight launches on two continents, flying parabolic, working inside a spacesuit, and participating in a simulated Mars mission. Her latest book, "Why Am I Taller?" (ECW Press, 2022) is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams. |
| Shard | 78 (laksa) |
| Root Hash | 4110033003681956278 |
| Unparsed URL | com,livescience!www,/62728-history-baikonur-kazakhstan-launch.html s443 |