Kapustin Yar

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This article contains information regarding a launch site that is scheduled to support a launch in the next 10 days.

Details may change as the countdown and ascent progress. Launch details: COSMOS International will use a Kosmos-3M to launch several communications satellites for Orbcomm. Launch will occur from LC-107 at Kapustin Yar. Ufa State Aviation Technical University's UGATUSAT satellite may also be launched.

Launch is scheduled for 19 June 2008. See 2008 in spaceflight and the Spaceflight Portal for further details.

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Kapustin Yar (Russian Капустин Яр; today Знаменск/Znamensk) is a Russian rocket launch and development site in the Astrakhan Oblast, between Volgograd and Astrakhan in the town of Znamensk. It was established 13 May 1946 and in its beginning used technology, material, and scientific support from the defeated Germany. The first rocket was launched on October 18, 1947. It was one of eleven German A-4s (the V-2 rocket) that had been captured. Numerous test rockets for the Russian military, satellite and sounding rocket launches were also carried out at the site.

The 4th Missile Test Range "Kapustin Yar" was established by a decree of the Soviet Government "On Questions of Jet Propelled Weapons" on the 13th May 1946. The test range was created under the supervision of General-lieutenant Vasily Voznyuk (commander in chief of the test range 1946-1973) in the desert north end of the Astrakhan region.

The State R&D Test Range No 8 (GNIIP-8, "test range S") was established at Kapustin Yar in June 1951.

Five air nuclear tests of small power (10-40 kt) were performed over the site in 1957-1961 [1].

With the further growth and development, the site became a cosmodrome and served in this function since 1966 (with interruption in 1988-1998). A new town was established, Znamensk, to support the scientists working on the facilities, their families and supporting personnel. Initially this was a secret city, not to be found on map and inaccessible to outsiders.

Evidence of the importance of Kapustin Yar was obtained by Western intelligence through debriefing of returning German scientists and spy flights. The first such flight took place in 1953 using a high flying Canberra aircraft from the RAF.

Kapustin Yar is also the site of numerous Soviet-era UFO sightings and has been called "Russia's Roswell".

[edit] Missiles tested/launched

October 1947 - A-4 (V-2)
1947-10-18 - Articul T (exact copy of V-2)
? - S-25 Berkut
1948-10-10 - R-1
1955-01-03 - R-11FM
1955-01-20 - R-5M
1956-02-02 - R-5M with standard nuclear warhead
1957-06-22 - R-12
March 1959 - R-13
1960-07-06 - R-14 Chusovaya
1962-02-11 - R-14U
1962-03-16 - 11K63 Cosmos
1974-09-21 - RT-21M RSD-10 Pioneer
1999-02-12 - S-400

[edit] Launch pads

Name		Coordinates	Comment
Burya Launch Complex	Kapustin Yar Burya	48°24′00″N 46°19′48″E / 48.4, 46.33	Burya. Elaborate complex consisting of horizontal assembly building, huge circular rail line, and mobile erector/launcher. Built at the Soviet Vladimirovka flight test facility south of Kapustin Yar.
Area 84	Kapustin Yar LC84	48°33′00″N 46°15′00″E / 48.55, 46.25	Launch Pads: 1. R-5, RT-15. R-5 Launch complex consisting of 3 pads.
Area 86	Kapustin Yar LC86	48°32′24″N 46°15′00″E / 48.54, 46.25	Launch Pads: 4. Kosmos 11K63, Kosmos 63S1, Kosmos 63S1M, R-31. Single launch complex consisting of 4 launch pads.
Area 107	Kapustin Yar LC107	48°35′24″N 46°17′36″E / 48.59, 46.2933	Launch Pads: 2. Kosmos 11K65M, Kosmos 65MP, R-14. Single launch complex consisting of 2 launch pads.
Mayak-1 silo	Kapustin Yar Mayak-1	48°33′00″N 46°15′00″E / 48.55, 46.25	Launch Pads: 1. R-12.
Mayak-2 silo	Kapustin Yar Mayak-2	48°33′00″N 46°15′00″E / 48.55, 46.25	Launch Pads: 1. Kosmos 63S1, R-12.
Pioner Launch Complex	Kapustin Yar Pioner	48°37′12″N 46°15′00″E / 48.62, 46.25	Rail-served launch complex.
Area 1	Kapustin Yar PL1	48°24′00″N 46°12′00″E / 48.4, 46.2	Launch Pads: 1. R-12.
Area 87	Kapustin Yar PL87	48°30′00″N 45°48′00″E / 48.5, 45.8	Launch Pads: 1. RT-2.
R-1 Launch Area	Kapustin Yar R-1	48°48′00″N 45°40′12″E / 48.8, 45.67
R-11 Launch Area	Kapustin Yar R-11	48°42′00″N 46°12′00″E / 48.7, 46.2	Naval missile test area.
R-14 Silo Prototype	Kapustin Yar R-14	48°30′36″N 46°15′36″E / 48.51, 46.26
R-2 Launch Area	Kapustin Yar R-2	48°46′48″N 45°42′00″E / 48.78, 45.7
R-5 Initial Launch Area	Kapustin Yar R-5	48°45′00″N 45°45′00″E / 48.75, 45.75
SM-49 submarine simulator	Kapustin Yar SM-49	48°30′00″N 45°48′00″E / 48.5, 45.8	Launch Pads: 1. R-11FM.
Sounding rocket launch area	Kapustin Yar Sounding	48°42′00″N 46°12′00″E / 48.7, 46.2
V-2 Launch Area	Kapustin Yar V-2	48°33′00″N 45°49′12″E / 48.55, 45.82	Original site for V-2 launches in 1946. First complex at Kapustin Yar.
Vertikal Launch Pad	Kapustin Yar Vertikal	48°30′00″N 46°46′48″E / 48.5, 46.78	Launch Pads: 1. Launch site for R-5 scientific launches, located well east of the primary military launch areas.