Baikonur Tour Impression of Martin Mikkelsen

I joined the ”Country of Tourism” tour to the Baikonur Cosmodrome to watch the launch of Soyuz TMA 18 on April 2nd 2010. During the four-day trip we witnessed the roll-out of the Soyuz rocket from the assembly building, standing just a few meters from the enormous Soyuz rocket as it slowly rolled by on a custom-built train. About an hour later, we were again able to stand right next to the Soyuz train as it slowly passed a road and railway intersection, about one kilometre from the launch pad itself. When the Soyuz entered the launch pad, we had a close-up view, from inside the launch pad itself, of the rocket being raised to the vertical position.

During the 48 hours between rocket roll-out and launch we visited the Buran Space Shuttle at the Baikonur Museum. We continued to the two huge Buran Transporters, they are so big that each transporter was pulled by two trains! We went
on to one of the Buran launch pads, an engineering project of truly fascinating proportions. Also, we visited Korolev’s and Gagarin’s cottages, where the two luminaries resided while working at the Cosmodrome, the Museum of the History of Baikonur Cosmodrome, the International School of Space and many other interesting sites.

However, the launch of the Soyuz rocket is obviously the ultimate experience of the Baikonur tour. Witnessing the huge Soyuz rocket (more than 50 meters high and more than 300 tons heavy) accelerate towards space on top of the intense white exhaust flame from only 2 kilometres distance is an intense experience! The Soyuz rocket engines simultaneously produce a loud, hissing sound and a low tremble that is not heard, but felt through the entire body. As the rocket speeds towards the sky a tsunami of warm air rolls over the area, demonstrating the gigantic forces unleashed by the Soyuz launch.

The Baikonur Cosmodrome provided an experience of space adventure that is both more intimate and more intense than any other spaceport I have ever visited did.