On 01 October and 02 October, I went to Baikonur Cosmodrome in southern Kazakhstan to witness the Soyuz TMA-7 launch to the International Space Station (ISS) and see Baikonur facilties, with some stop-over sight-seeing in Moscow, Russia as well.  Baikonur has been a secret military launch site during the cold war and largely off-limits to anyone except journalists and more recently the three "space tourists" that have travelled aboard Soyuz launch vehicles for short stints at the ISS in return for critical funding for Russian Federal Space Agency work.

Although any other "tourist" visitors to the cosmodrome have come through the US SpaceAdventures company for the last tourist launches, I decided to organise this trip via a Russian agency directly, which was a but of a strange experience itself.  Additionally, it turns out that no one has ever done this before, in fact.  Along with new friend from Guernsey Matthew who accompanied me, we were the first ever 'private' visitors to the cosmodrome ever.

This brought a few hassles, because we needed to be 'added' to the NASA / Roscosmos V.I.P. chartered plane, etc.  However, in my opinion, it was far more interesting than the planned SpaceAdventures tour for friends of Greg Olsen (ISS visitor) and other tourists, because we had substantial access to other launch facilities, the Gragarinski Start launch pad (TMA-7), the inner cosmonaut preparation facilities, private museum facilities, Yuri Gagarin's and Sergei Pavlovich Korolev's original houses on the base, easy tours and meetings with some important people like NASA Administrator Mike Griffin, astronauts and facility managers, as well as activities in the Baikonur / Leninsk itself.  Very very cool.

In the end it was an absolutely amazing trip - organised effectively by the Moscow-based RusAdventures group and the separate tour leaders, translators and "insiders" in Baikonur.  I strongly recommend these organisers for cost-effectiveness, minimal hassle and a lot of fun and learning (links to the right).  Amazing trip, all around. 

Arrival in Moscow

I arrived in Moscow from Amsterdam Thursday afternoon and was picked up at the airport.  Went to the hotel and slept early. These are photos of the Cosmos Hotel and surrounding neighbourhoods north of the centre.

On the way to Baikonur, a plane at the departing airport.

Baikonur Airport

This is Kazakhstan "steppe" where there are rare roads and certainly no buildings as far as one can see from the plane.

Buran Pads 1 & 2

The first thing we did right off the plane was to visit the old Russian Energia and Shuttle Buran pads.  Last launched in 1988, the Buran was a heavy lift craft designed with an Energia booster for agnostic payload lifting (cargo, human, etc.).  The gentleman below is our translator Slava.

Buran Test Craft

We then visited the Buran test craft being stored outside.  Not in great shape, but great to see.

After visiting the Buran facility, we took a trip into town to visit a private (non-military) space museum which was quite complete and detailed, with artefacts and a lot of great models.  The whole time were treated amazingly with expert tour guides, tolerable translation and substantial amounts of great insider stories and lore.  We also visited the memorial of the famous 24 October accidents in 1960 and 1963 that killed scores of brilliant scientists and engineers, then had a big dinner.

SS-17 Ballistic
Missile

Older Soyuz frame on display in town as a monument.

Baikonur hotel
room

Rising early with tour leader Valeri (20 year Baikonur engineer now managing the tour agency) and translator Helen.

We awoke at 4:00 AM in order to witness the traditional "report" of the cosmonauts stating they are ready to go to space.  This happens after final words from high-ranking officials, medical inspection, etc.  and for us was about 7:00 AM.  From which, they are whisked to the TMA-7 launch pad for a 10:00 launch.

Included is Dr. Gregory Olsen, "space tourist" who is doing experiments for his company Sensors Unlimited, as well as three experiments for ESA under a new contract.

After this report, we were brought into the preparation facilities for payloads and the launcher  inspection areas, as well as the medical inspection areas and glass-wall meeting room for senior officials to have their last words with the cosmonauts and astronauts.  Here is where I met Mike Griffin (NASA Administrator).

After the inspection faculties, we took the guided tour of the old Baikonur museum (very impressive) with Mike Griffin and the other NASA and Roscosmos administrators.  The translation on this tour was exceptional, as can be expected with the attendees, and the experience of the tour and talking to Griffin was very interesting too.

Korolev's living
room

Korolev's work
desk

Gagarin's house, living room and bedoom

Airport WC in
the distance

We watched this launch from a distance of about 1800 metres.

Telemetry tracking equipment facing the Soyuz LV on the ground, tilts skyward on launch to follow the LV's trajectory.

Translator Helen
and I

Not only was this the TMA-7 launch pad, it's the location of the flight of Laika and Gagarin's famous first launch to space.  It was still "warm" basically, as we approached within 45 minutes of launch, and was being prepared for a new Soyuz satellite launch on 26 October.

After waking up early on Sunday, I decided to take the famous Moscow metro downtown and see some sights before my flight back to Amsterdam.