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| Launch site | Baikonur Cosmodrome | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Location | 45°57′53″N63°18′18″E / 45.9647°N 63.3049°E | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total launches | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Launch pad(s) | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Site 110 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome is a launch facility which was used by the N1 rocket during the late 1960s and early 1970s, and by the Energia rocket during the 1980s.
Site 110 consists of two launch pads: The right (or east) pad, called "110/38" or "110R", was completed first. It was followed by the left (or west) pad, called "110/37" or "110L". The complex was built in the 1960s as part of the Soviet crewed lunar programs, for use by the N1 rocket.[ citation needed ]
A total of five launches were made from the complex: Four N1 launches as well as one Energia launch, carrying the Buran spaceplane. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union the Energia and Buran programmes were cancelled, and the complex was abandoned.[ citation needed ]
Site 110 was intended as the launch site for crewed lunar landing missions using the Soyuz 7K-L3 spacecraft and the LK lander. The N1 made four flights, all of which were launched from Site 110, and all of which failed before the first stage had completed its burn.
The first launch from the complex occurred from Site 110/38 on 21 February 1969, and was followed by another launch from the same pad on 3 July 1969. [1] During the second launch the number 8 engine exploded a quarter of a second after liftoff, starting a fire at the base of the rocket. The rocket cleared the tower but by 12 seconds into the flight the fire had caused all but one of the remaining engines to fail, and the rocket fell back onto the launch pad. The resulting explosion destroyed the right pad, shattered windows six kilometres from the pad, and could be seen 35 kilometres (22 mi) away in Leninsk. It took over eighteen months to rebuild the pad. [2]
N1 launches resumed on 26 June 1971, with the first from the left pad. Following its failure, and the failure of another launch on 23 November 1972, the development of the N1 was abandoned. [3]
Both N1 pads at Site 110 were then rebuilt for launching Energia rockets [4] and adapted for crewed flights. The two rotating service towers on both pads were reduced in height by 60 metres (200 feet) to match the shorter stack height of the Energia rocket. [5] [6] A third pad was constructed from the ground up at Site 250 for testing and uncrewed launches. Energia rockets only flew twice. The first flight (Energia-Polyus ) on 15 May 1987 was made from Site 250, and the second flight (Energia-Buran ) from Site 110/37.
The only Energia launch from Site 110 occurred at 03:00 UTC on 15 November 1988, carrying the first Buran shuttle on an uncrewed test flight. [7]
Today both launch pads at Site 110 are still standing, but have fallen into disrepair. Site 110 was considered as a location for the Bayterek Launch Complex, which is to be built at Baikonur for Angara launches, however Baikonur's other Energia launch complex, Site 250, was chosen instead. Site 200/40, a Proton launch complex, had also been under consideration. [8]
The Buran programme, also known as the "VKK Space Orbiter programme", was a Soviet and later Russian reusable spacecraft project that began in 1974 at the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute in Moscow and was formally suspended in 1993. In addition to being the designation for the whole Soviet/Russian reusable spacecraft project, Buran was also the name given to orbiter 1K, which completed one uncrewed spaceflight in 1988 and was the only Soviet reusable spacecraft to be launched into space. The Buran-class orbiters used the expendable Energia rocket as a launch vehicle.
Energia was a 1980s super-heavy lift launch vehicle. It was designed by NPO Energia of the Soviet Union as part of the Buran program for a variety of payloads including the Buran spacecraft. Control system main developer enterprise was the Khartron NPO "Electropribor". The Energia used four strap-on boosters each powered by a four-chamber RD-170 engine burning kerosene/LOX, and a central core stage with four single-chamber RD-0120 (11D122) engines fueled by liquid hydrogen/LOX.
The Baikonur Cosmodrome is a spaceport operated by Russia within Kazakhstan. Located in the Kazakh city of Baikonur, it is the largest operational space launch facility in terms of area. All Russian crewed spaceflights are launched from Baikonur.
The N1/L3 was a super heavy-lift launch vehicle intended to deliver payloads beyond low Earth orbit. The N1 was the Soviet counterpart to the US Saturn V and was intended to enable crewed travel to the Moon and beyond, with studies beginning as early as 1959. Its first stage, Block A, was the most powerful rocket stage ever flown for over 50 years, generating 45.4 MN of thrust. However, each of the four attempts to launch an N1 failed in flight, with the second attempt resulting in the vehicle crashing back onto its launch pad shortly after liftoff. Adverse characteristics of the large cluster of thirty engines and its complex fuel and oxidizer feeder systems were not revealed earlier in development because static test firings had not been conducted.
Blok D is an upper stage used on Soviet and later Russian expendable launch systems, including the N1, Proton-K and Zenit.
Buran was the first spaceplane to be produced as part of the Soviet/Russian Buran program. Buran completed one uncrewed spaceflight in 1988, and was destroyed in 2002 due to the collapse of its storage hangar. The Buran-class orbiters used the expendable Energia rocket, a class of super heavy-lift launch vehicle. Besides describing the first operational Soviet/Russian shuttle orbiter, "Buran" was also the designation for the entire Soviet/Russian spaceplane project and its flight articles, which were known as "Buran-class orbiters".
Strela is a Russian orbital carrier rocket, derived from the Soviet/Russian UR-100NU missile. It conducted its maiden test launch on 5 December 2003, carried its first functional payload on 27 June 2013, and a second one on 19 December 2014.
Site 200 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome is a launch site used by Proton rockets. It consists of two launch pads, areas 39 and 40. Area 39 is currently used for Proton-M launches, including commercial flights conducted by International Launch Services. Area 40 is currently inactive, as it was slated to be rebuilt as a launch site for the Angara rocket. Although the project was relocated to Site 250, Area 40 was not put back into service.
Site 45 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome used to be a Zenit rocket launch site consisting of two pads, both of which are currently inactive. It used to be the launch site for all Soviet and Russian government Zenit launches, along with a commercial launch conducted for Globalstar in 1998, and continuing commercial launches under the Land Launch programme. The main pad at the site is area 45/1, which was completed in 1983 following five years of construction. A second pad, area 45/2, was completed in 1990, but was destroyed by a launch failure in the same year.
Site 133, also known as Raduga, is a launch complex at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia. It is used by Rockot, and previously Kosmos carrier rockets. It consists of a single pad, originally designated 133/1, and later 133/3.
Site 131, also known as Voskhod, was a launch complex at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia, used by Kosmos carrier rockets and R-14 missiles. It consisted of a single launch pad, which was used between 1967 and 1969.
Site 16, also known as SK-2, is a launch complex at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia. It consists of a single pad, Site 16/2, and has been used by R-7 derived rockets since 1960.
Progress M-61, identified by NASA as Progress 26P, was a Progress spacecraft used to resupply the International Space Station. It was a Progress-M 11F615A55 spacecraft, with the serial number 361.
Progress M-60, identified by NASA as Progress 25P, was a Progress spacecraft used to resupply the International Space Station. It was a Progress-M 11F615A55 spacecraft, with the serial number 360.
Progress M-59, identified by NASA as Progress 24P, was a Progress spacecraft used to resupply the International Space Station. It was a Progress-M 11F615A55 spacecraft, with the serial number 359.
Progress M-58, identified by NASA as Progress 23P, was a Progress spacecraft used to resupply the International Space Station. It was a Progress-M 11F615A55 spacecraft, with the serial number 358.
Progress M-57, identified by NASA as Progress 22P, was a Progress spacecraft used to resupply the International Space Station. It was a Progress-M 11F615A55 spacecraft, with the serial number 357.
Progress M-48, identified by NASA as Progress 12P, was a Progress spacecraft used to resupply the International Space Station. It was a Progress-M 11F615A55 spacecraft, with the serial number 248.
Progress DC-1 was a modified Progress 11F615A55, Russian production No. 301, used to deliver the Pirs module to the International Space Station. It has the pressurised cargo module removed to accommodate Pirs.
Site 250 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, also known as UKSS and Bayterek, is a test facility and launch site which was used by the Energia rocket during the 1980s. The site consists of a single launch pad, which doubled as a test stand, and is supported by an engineering area and a propellant storage facility. As of 2011 the complex was planned to be rebuilt as the Bayterek Launch Complex, which would be used by the Angara rocket from 2015; however development is yet to begin.