Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Plestek Cosmodrome. Thank you LENA !!!.
















From Wikipedia
Plesetsk Cosmodrome (Russian: Космодром «Плесецк») is a Russian spaceport, located in Arkhangelsk Oblast, about 800 km north of Moscow and approximately 200 km south of Arkhangelsk.

Plesetsk Cosmodrome was originally developed by the Soviet Union as a launch site for intercontinental ballistic missiles. On January 11, 1957 the Soviet Government passed the resolution about the foundation of special military object with secret name “Angara”. This secret object had to be situated in Plesetsk District, Arhangelsk Oblast. It was named after the town of Plesetsk. The first Soviet Combat formation of intercontinental ballistic missiles R-7 of General designer Koroljev had to be located in that place, in thick northern taiga to the south of Arhangelsk. July 15, 1957, was the official birthday of the proving ground. That day Colonel Gregorjev assumed his post as the missile unit commander. By July 15, 1961, four missile complexes for ballistic missile R-7 were on combat patrol.

March 17, 1966, was the space birthday of Plesetsk. That day was the first missile launching of the rocket booster Vostok with space vehicle Cosmos 112. Since that time the rocket base Angara has become cosmodrome Plesetsk. Construction started in 1957 and it was declared operational for R-7 rockets in December 1959. The urban-type settlement of Plesetsk in Arkhangelsk Oblast had a railway station, essential for the transport of missile components. A new town for the support of the facility was named Mirny, Russian for "peaceful". By 1997, more than 1,500 launches to space had been made from the site, more than for any other launch facility, although the usage has declined significantly since the breakup of the Soviet Union.

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