After the collapse of the USSR, the space power was left without its own cosmodrome, because Baikonur went to Kazakhstan. There was an obvious need to reduce dependence on launches from a neighboring country, and it would not hurt to save money - Baikonur costs the Russian Federation more than $ 100 million annually! In November 2007, the President of Russia signed a decree according to which the country should have its own cosmodrome - Vostochny. Where is this unique facility located, at what stage of construction, how much money has already been spent on its construction? We will talk about this and much more in this article.
History
Initially, two options for the location of the object were considered - either the Khabarovsk Territory or the Amur Region. It was decided to build the Vostochny cosmodrome in Amurskaya. Of course, the main reason is the lack of serious infrastructure costs (Vostochny is located near the Svobodny cosmodrome, which was disbanded in 2007). In addition, this region is characterized by low seismicity. It is also important that, according to calculations, the missiles launched fromcosmodrome in the Amur region, there will be an absolutely safe trajectory - the first stage will fall in the south of Yakutia, which is not inhabited, and the second - in the Arctic Ocean.
2010 was marked by the fact that in honor of the start of work a memorial sign was laid in this place. A year later, technical and preliminary design began. And already in 2012 - the construction of the first launch complex, which was completed in the spring of 2016. It is worth saying that the construction was accompanied by high-profile corruption scandals, hunger strikes and strikes of workers who were not paid wages. But first things first.
General information
The total area of this Russian spaceport is about 700 square kilometers. It was decided that the city of Tsiolkovsky, which is being built on the territory of the ZATO of Uglegorsk, will become the residential and administrative center of the Vostochny cosmodrome.
The construction of ten sites is planned - both technical and providing. In addition, a launch complex for a launch vehicle with increased payload capacity will be built. An airfield, roads and railways will appear here, two plants at once - an oxygen-nitrogen and a hydrogen one.
Construction of Vostochny
Now you know where the Vostochny Cosmodrome is located. Let's talk about the progress of its construction. Construction work on the facility began in 2012. Then a foundation pit was dug here, the foundations of some buildings were laid. Construction began in early December.metal structures, expansion of the Ledyanaya railway station. In September 2013, Deputy Director of the Federal Agency for Special Construction of the Russian Federation Alexander Busygin reported:
From December 2011 to the present time, Spetsstroy of Russia has completed a significant amount of work: a forest has been cut down, a construction site has been prepared, temporary roads have been built from site to site with a total length of almost 70 kilometers to ensure all the work on the construction of the cosmodrome. All earthworks for the main structures of the cosmodrome have been completed: excavation and displacement of soil with a total volume of more than 7 million cubic meters have been completed. Temporary bases for the placement of equipment have been organized, a shift camp for 4.5 thousand people has been built and is already functioning. The entire infrastructure of temporary buildings and structures has been deployed - concrete plants, reinforcement production, crushing and screening facilities. More than 120 thousand cubic meters of monolithic reinforced concrete have already been laid in the "body" of the structures of the future cosmodrome. Today, the construction of the main structures of the launch and technical complexes is in full swing.
In the spring of 2014, the initial stage of power supply was completed at the Vostochny cosmodrome, and by July, 96% of all concrete work had been completed. At the same time, the construction of treatment facilities began. In 2015, the installation of launch equipment for launch vehicles and the construction of a whole complex for storing rocket fuel components began. The telecommunications support of the cosmodrome has also begun. Separately, it should be said about the railway - by May 14, 100kilometers of tracks from the Trans-Siberian to the cosmodrome. At the end of the same month, the All-Russian student construction site opened at the facility. Student teams from all over the country went through a serious selection, the best of the best got to the cosmodrome! More than 100 young people from leading universities in Tomsk, Kazan, Kursk, and the Amur Region preferred the construction semester to the academic semester. It is worth noting that the teachers treated the forced absenteeism of their students with understanding.
The first phase of construction was completed in autumn 2016. All facilities were put into operation by the end of the same year. The second phase of construction began in the second half of 2017. It is planned that all work will be completed by 2021. In August last year, the Government of the Russian Federation allocated more than two hundred million rubles to the Ministry of Construction for design and survey work, which will make it possible to create a power supply project for the second stage of construction. By the way, the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Sergei Shoigu controls the progress of all work performed and the delivery of facilities.
Vostochny Cosmodrome: photo of the project and its cost
The first financial investments were made in 2011 - then 1.4 billion rubles were allocated for construction and installation work. These funds were supposed to build power lines, railways and roads. 81 billion were allocated for the first stage of construction - to create the supporting infrastructure for the Vostochny cosmodrome. Funds were calculated for a period up to 2015. Another 92 billion was allocated forspace technology.
It is planned that the construction of the entire facility will take about three hundred billion rubles. The budget for the construction of the second stage of the spaceport for 2017-19 has already been approved: it will amount to 25-30 billion a year.
Strikes and thefts
Almost simultaneously with the start of construction, workers began to strike - they were delayed in paying wages. The president instructed Dmitry Rogozin, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, to solve the problem. In 2014, he was appointed construction coordinator. It is worth noting that Rogozin visited the construction site more than fifty times.
By April 2015, the situation with wages worsened so much that the builders not only went on a hunger strike, but also turned to Direct Line with Vladimir Putin. The fact is that the total debt to the builders at that time was more than 150 million rubles.
Several criminal cases were initiated on the fact of embezzlement of an amount exceeding seven billion rubles. For example, in relation to the management of a building contractor - the Pacific Bridge Company. The chairman of the board of directors of this company was sentenced to three years in prison. The court established that it was I. Nesterenko who organized the theft of the amount of 104.5 million.
Cosmodrome infrastructure
Initially, it was planned to build a number of different technical and supportingvenues.
So, the finished Vostochny cosmodrome will include:
- launch vehicle launch complex;
- airfield for receiving aircraft of all types;
- roads;
- railroads;
- factories - oxygen-nitrogen and hydrogen;
- hulls for testing and training manned spacecraft;
- logistics warehouses;
- helipad and helicopter stands;
- objects for training astronauts;
- shelters - both for equipment and spaceport personnel;
- repair facilities.
Training of specialists
Of course, it is impossible to imagine the activities of the Vostochny Cosmodrome without qualified personnel. To date, the training of specialists is carried out at once in several Russian universities:
- South Ural State University;
- Amur State University;
- Moscow Aviation Institute.
Since 2012, the training of specialists for all services of the cosmodrome began at the Bauman University in Moscow, the Pedagogical University in Blagoveshchensk.
Operation
The first launch from the Vostochny Cosmodrome was originally scheduled for the end of December 2015. However, a number of facilities were not yet ready at that time, and therefore Vladimir Putin decided to postpone the launch to April 27, 2016. However, it was not possible to launch the launch vehicle on that day either: the launch was automatically postponed due todue to the lack of a response signal in the missile control system.
The first rocket launch from the Vostochny cosmodrome, insured for 1.84 billion rubles, took place a day later, on April 28, 2016. Then the Soyuz launch vehicle launched 3 spacecraft into orbit at once - Aist-2D, Mikhailo Lomonosov, and the Sam-Sat-218 nanosatellite.
Search parties
The presence of search groups at the base of the cosmodrome is a mandatory condition. What do the specialists of such groups of the Vostochny cosmodrome in the Amur Region do? First of all, they notify the population living within the area of the fall, conduct a pre-launch flight, the purpose of which is the evacuation of hunters and other people located in the area of the fall. They are also engaged in post-launch inspection, search and evacuation of parts that are separated from missiles.
It is important to note that during launches, it is from this cosmodrome that search teams are deployed in two districts of the Amur Region - Zeya and Tyndinsky, and two regions of Yakutia - Vilyuysky and Aldansky.
Value for country
Experts say that as a result of the construction of the new Vostochny cosmodrome, the country will receive absolute independence in space activities. It is also important that the socio-economic situation in the Amur Region will improve significantly - the development of the region's industry begins, investments and private capital are attracted. A significant reduction in the cost of renting Baikonur deserves special attention.
Benefits
Roscosmos television studio prepared a film-a presentation that tells about the stages of the construction of the facility, its disadvantages and advantages. The main thing worth noting is that the Vostochny cosmodrome is located 11 degrees south of Plesetsk. This, experts say, will allow the removal of large loads. Among the advantages is the fact that the missile flight path does not pass over the territories of other states, nor over the densely populated regions of Russia. In addition, this facility is located very close to airfields, railways and roads.
Due to the emergence of a new spaceport, political risks are reduced. The point is that over the past few years Kazakhstan has repeatedly blocked Russian missile launches under a variety of pretexts. In addition, the new complex will reduce the load on Baikonur, however, there is no talk of a complete replacement yet - at least until the end of the lease term in 2050.
Difficulties
Of course, there were some difficulties. For example, there was an urgent need to transport spacecraft here, which means that it was necessary either to lay a railway line or build an airfield. In addition, experts noted that during the transition from Baikonur to Vostochny, transport costs will increase significantly, both in terms of time and finances. The fact is that the distance of delivery of personnel and launch vehicle exceeds five and a half thousand kilometers! That is why in 2015 it was decided to transfer the assembly of Angara missiles to the city of Omsk.
The lack of housing has also become a problemand any kind of infrastructure for the employees of the new spaceport. Only slightly more than 6 thousand people can live on the territory of Uglegorsk at the same time, and therefore a new settlement is needed. It is planned that the built city of Tsiolkovsky will be able to accommodate more than 12 thousand inhabitants.
Flaws
If we compare the Russian cosmodrome with the one located on the territory of Kazakhstan, a number of shortcomings can be identified. So, Vostochny is located 6 degrees north of Baikonur. This will lead to a reduction in the mass of the output cargo. But there is a plus in this - rockets from Baikonur are launched "bypassing China", and the second stages fall in Altai. That is, rockets cannot take off from here along the most convenient and profitable trajectory.
The disadvantage (and a very serious one) is the fact that the spent parts of the missiles fall directly into the taiga. This can lead to forest fires, which are already a problem in this region.
Interesting facts
Everyone who held a banknote of two thousand rubles, issued in October 2017 by the Bank of Russia, could see the Vostochny launch complex on the reverse side. Recall that the front side depicts the Russian Bridge, located in Vladivostok.
By 2021, it is planned to launch a manned spacecraft "Federation" from this cosmodrome - in an unmanned version. And in 2023 - already with a crew.
