On September 6, 2020, the Vostochny Space Center (a branch of the Center for Operation of Ground-Based Space Infrastructure Facilities, part of the Roscosmos State Corporation) celebrates its 10th anniversary. It was on this day in 2010 that the Order was signed to establish a branch of the then FSUE Center for the Operation of Ground Space Infrastructure Objects – the Vostochny Space Center.
The first stage of the branch’s work was the preparation of the infrastructure. On April 28, 2016, the first launch was successfully completed from the Vostochny cosmodrome – the Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle launched the Lomonosov, Aist-2D and SamSat-218 spacecraft into orbit. To date, the employees of the branch have already provided five launches from the new Russian cosmodrome.
Vostochny has more than one task of state importance ahead. By the order of the Government of the Russian Federation, TsENKI was appointed the general contractor and the only contractor for the completion of 9 facilities of the first stage of the Vostochny cosmodrome. Already now, in accordance with the schedule approved by the Roskosmos State Corporation, specialists of the Vostochny Space Center are completing construction and installation work on 3 most important objects: water intake structure No. 5, on the Launch and Technical Complex of the Soyuz-2 launch vehicle.
Today, Vostochny is actively working on the creation of the second stage of the cosmodrome – the Angara space rocket complex. On Thursday, September 3, 2020, large equipment was delivered to the cosmodrome by the Northern Sea Route – the components of the launch pad and the vacuum chamber for the Angara complex. The equipment has already been transported to the Launch and Technical Complex, where its installation will begin in the near future.
Every day from 2 to 15 units of equipment arrive and unload at Vostochny. 18 systems of technological equipment have already been delivered to the cosmodrome – this is about two hundred places for the Technical Complex and two thousand for the Launch Complex, 11 more systems have been partially delivered, the delivery work continues continuously.
In 3 years, the first heavy carrier rocket “Angara” is planned to be launched from the new launch complex. In 2025 “Angara” will launch the manned spacecraft “Eagle” into space. The launch of the Angara space rocket complex will allow launching vehicles of all types from its territory and will provide Russia with guaranteed independent access to space.
Today the Vostochny cosmodrome is a point of attraction for highly qualified specialists from all regions of the country. The main personnel who provide launches are more than 2 thousand employees with vast experience of work at the Baikonur cosmodrome, young specialists and, of course, professionals from the Amur Region and other regions.
