no secret that with the collapse of the Soviet Union the Russian space industry was in some kind of impasse.On the one hand, we - the pioneers of space, and on the other - a country without its own spaceport.The solution was found quickly enough - the Kazakh authorities agreed to pass the Baikonur rent, asking for that year an amount comparable to the cost of the State to support the whole of agriculture.But since the government has no choice at that time was found, it was signed a lease, the term of which ends in 2050.
But having rented a launching pad for launching satellites and heavy missiles - not the way out, so in 2007, a presidential decree on the construction of a new cosmodrome in the Russian Federation.
Construction Vostochny cosmodrome began almost immediately, but over the years it has not moved beyond the area of clearing and digging pits.But the amount laid down in the budget for its construction, grew up with a truly cosmic speed - if the original documentation was announced figure of 81 billion. Rubles, in a few years, she mysteriously rose to as much as 300 billion.
comparison - about asame amount would cost the treasury of the Sochi Olympics, and the same amount was spent on the APEC summit.In other words, the cosmodrome East is likely to be the most ambitious project of the Russian government since perestroika.
What is so grandiose and expensive spaceport?According to the draft, he, no doubt, go down in four of the world's largest launch pads for launching heavy rocket and space module.In addition, he will become the most modern and, as it will include not only more than a thousand of various buildings and structures, but also the newest residential complex for the inhabitants of the space city.
Cosmodrome Vostochny, located in the Amur region, in an area with more than challenging climate requires a lot of costs, even in the preparatory works.After all, typical for this climate zone temperature fluctuations from minus 35 in the winter and up to plus 40 in summer forcing builders to lead the development of the soil to a depth of 70 meters.Further increase the cost of the work and the need to create all the necessary infrastructure from scratch, because the selected area is not only no minimum communication, but even railways.
also cosmodrome Vostochny, the draft of which has already been approved, confused by many experts in the field of space for its proximity to the sea.On the one hand, it is certainly a plus - large parts can be delivered through the water with less.But on the other hand, in case of any emergency situation at the start, emergency vehicle with almost one hundred percent probability to fall into the sea, and thus find it to be much more difficult than in the case of landing it on the land.
In addition, it is no secret that against the deployment of such large-scale construction projects performed and the previous head of the Russian Space Agency, arguing that contain cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to pay the rent is much cheaper than to build spaceport East.But in this case the issues of independence and prestige for the government had more important matters than the costs, so the project despite the stiff opposition, was still running.
Today the launch of the first manned spacecraft to the new site is planned for 2018, but given the fact that this period has shifted first from 2014 to 2015, and then was moved at all for three years, to talk about the accuracy of plans forcompletion is early.
But in any case, will be delivered when the cosmodrome East, it will provide not only the independence of Russia in space, but also the rapid development of the Amur region.
