Svobodny Cosmodrome

51.733333333333128.08333333333Koordinaten: 51 ° 44 '0 "N, 128 ° 5' 0" E

Svobodny (Russian Свободный ) is a term used between 1996 and 2006 rocket launch site in Russia's Far East. It is located about 20 km north- west of the city Svobodny in the Amur Oblast.

Basis for ICBMs

As of 1968, near the town Svobodny about 100 missile silos for ICBMs, disguised as coal mines, built. The end of 1993, according to the START II disarmament talks between the Soviet Union and the United States, the launch facilities were shut down.

Starting place for launchers

Since the launch site Baikonur was after the collapse of the Soviet Union outside of the territory, the Russian authorities were looking for a suitable replacement.

On 30 November 1993 Svobodny was officially appointed testing center. Five missile silos of the intercontinental ballistic missile UR -100 should be rebuilt for new Strela missiles and Rockot, both based on the UR -100N intercontinental ballistic missile. Long-term plans called Svobodny before starting place for the new Angara rocket.

On 1 March 1996, Russian President Boris Yeltsin declared a Svobodny Cosmodrome. The construction work went ahead, however slowly, the initial launch of the Strela did not take place in Svobodny but in Baikonur. However, could bring from Svobodny from satellites into orbit from 1997 launch rocket. At times, 5,000 people were employed on the premises.

Start list

From 1997 to 2006 held five satellite launches in Svobodny. All satellites were placed in polar orbits.

Closure

Back in 2005, stood in the room that Svobodny could not be continued, the end of 2006 it was decided for financial reasons not to use the launch site, the three launch silos should, according to Vladimir Popovkin, commander of the Russian Space Rocket Forces, either blown up or filled with concrete. Formally, the closure was sealed by a presidential decree in February 2007.

From July 2007, Svobodny came again on the short list for Russia's future rocket launch site. The head of the space agency Roskosmos, Anatoly Perminov visited with a delegation first Svobodny, then Wanino on the Pacific coast. The choice fell in November 2007, eventually to a new building which is to be built under the name of Vostochny Cosmodrome near Svobodny.