Baikonur Cosmodrome

Baikonur Cosmodrome is a space launch facility in Kazakhstan leased and operated by Russia. Built during the Soviet era, it has launched crewed and uncrewed missions.

Soyuz launch vehicle: A family of Russian launch vehicles descended from the R-7, used for crewed and uncrewed spaceflight. Soyuz rockets have carried crews and cargo into orbit from Baikonur.
R-7 Semyorka: The first successful intercontinental ballistic missile, developed by the Soviet Union and adapted for space launch. The R-7's operational requirements drove construction of the launch complex.
International Space Station: A crewed orbital laboratory operated through cooperation among multiple space agencies. Baikonur launches have carried crews and cargo to the station.
Space Race: The Cold War competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to achieve major milestones in spaceflight. Baikonur was the launch site for several Soviet firsts that defined the rivalry.
Gagarin's Start: A launch pad at Baikonur used for the first human spaceflight and many later missions. This historic pad became a principal site for Soyuz crew launches.
Sputnik 1: The first artificial Earth satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957. Its launch from Baikonur made the site central to the opening of the Space Age.
Soyuz (spacecraft): A Russian crewed spacecraft family used for orbital transport and missions to space stations. Crews launched from Baikonur have used Soyuz spacecraft to reach orbit.
Kazakhstan: A country in Central Asia that became independent after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The cosmodrome's location made Kazakhstan the host state after independence.
Proton (rocket family): A Soviet and Russian heavy-lift launch vehicle family used mainly for uncrewed missions. Baikonur's Proton launch complexes sent heavy satellites and probes into space.
Yuri Gagarin: Soviet cosmonaut who became the first human to travel into space in 1961. Gagarin's flight departed from Baikonur and made the cosmodrome internationally known.

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