In this brilliant and sunny October our agency organised an unforgettable trip to the space-launch complex of Baikonur!
We arrived with our tourists right up for the event of carrying-out of the rocket, which takes place two days before the launch itself according to the tradition. The process of moving-out of the rocket was taking place during the dawn so it could be seen from the point of an outstretched arm. It was being slowly transported from the Installation and Construction Edifice to the launch zone № 1 – Gagarin’s Start. During this occasion our tourists were able to make beautiful photos of the transportation of the rocket. You can see these wonderful pictures of it all in on of the sections of photo gallery – Autumn vacation on the spaceport Baikonur.
On the Baikonur we spent in the whole 4 days which happened to be full of detailed tours around the spaceport and events of worldwide importance. Our rich tour programme included visiting:
“Area 1” – Gagarin’s start, from which the first cosmonaut, Yurij Gagarin had been launched into space;
“Area 112” - Installation and Construction Edifice “Progress” and “Soyuz”, where rockets are being assembled;
“Area 200” – Launch area “Proton”, from which the biggest cargo ships are sent into space;
“Area 250” and “Area 250A” – Launch complex and Bunker of “Buran Energia”, which had overseen the only legendary launch of Buran – Soviet space shuttle.
Moreover, we also had a great chance to meet cosmonauts first-hand, who had already been in space several times before, receive their autographs’ notes and take pictures with them. After the dinner we were witnessing the flyover of the International Space Station over the Baikonur complex.
At the day of the launch, we were present with our tourists at the ceremony of farewell with the crew of cosmonauts in the hotel and a little bit later at the official report speech about the readiness for the mission. Following that the cosmonauts proceeded to Soyuz-MC, while we were impatiently waiting for the event, because of which we had travelled so far – the launch of the spaceship.
We are sure that this trip shall always stay in the memory of our tourists. During the launch Soyuz booster rocket experienced a failure forcing the crew members to make an emergency landing. The most important thing that cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Nick Hague landed in the Kazakh steppe, 25 km off from the city of Jezkazgan, just minutes after the lift-off of the rocket, safe and sound! Launch Escape System performed at a top level. We would like to outline the reliability of Russian (devised in Soviet times) launch abort system which saved the lives of our crew members! Each minute after the failure occurred, we were praying for the safe landing of the capsule which had detached from the main body of the rocket.
This day, 11th of October, 2018, must enter the annals of Russian cosmonautics. It is worthy to mention that no similar failure with Soyuz took place in the last 35 years.
Due to a large number of requests we would like to support our true heroes – Alexey Ovchinin and Nick Hague, members of Soyuz MC-10 Mission. We are confident that you will set off for the International Space Station in the next year and we promise to come to the spaceport on this occasion to bid them farewell.
