Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan

Starry-eyed for space travel? Want to take your Kazakhstan holiday into infinity and beyond? (Groan.) Then visit the frontline of the Soviet Space Race at Baikonur Cosmodrome – a working spaceport in the remote Kazakh steppe that’s spent over 50 years as a launch pad for pioneering international expeditions.

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Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan

Don’t be fooled into thinking that holidays to Kazakhstan are all steppe towns, marathon train journeys and Silk Road cities. Formerly part of the USSR, this is a country that’s been in the vanguard of space travel since the 1950s. And it all goes down at Baikonur Cosmodrome – a launch pad and research centre in the desert steppe east of the Aral Sea that doubles as the world’s first and busiest spaceport.

Space travel in Kazakhstan isn’t as surprising as you’d think. This is a frontier country that’s spent centuries wondering what’s over the horizon – and then going there.

The Baikonur Cosmodrome started life as a top-secret missile test site in the 1950s, before furtively transforming into the HQ of Soviet Russia’s space programme. It was a shining star of space tech innovation and exploration, and home to one of the most successful space programmes on the planet.

This is where Yuri Gagarin became the first person to blast into space. It’s where the first spacecraft got within whispering distance of the moon. Where the first woman, Valentine Tereshkova, shot into space and stardom. When Cold War tensions settled, it became the centre of the International Space Station expeditions, launching the likes of Commander Chris Hadfield and Major Tim Peake into the ether.

Rumours on the space grapevine have it that the work-in-progress Russian spaceport Vostochny will adopt space missions from 2021. So the time to visit is right now, while Baikonur Cosmodrome is still the darling of international space travel. But how do you get to Baikonur Cosmodrome? And what’s there to see once you’ve arrived? Read on to discover how to slot the space station into your Kazakhstan holiday.

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Top 3 things to see at Baikonur Cosmodrome

Once top secret, the Baikonur Cosmodrome is now open to curious visitors. The complex is about as big as the USSR’s aspirations were, handing out nine launch complexes, 14 launch pads, 34 engineering complexes, three fuelling stations and two aerodromes across 90km of flat, dusty Kazakh steppe. On top of that, it’s a working spaceport busy with scientists and engineers. This isn’t a place you can just mosey around yourself; you’ll have to hook up with a tour guide to help you explore this vast cosmodrome.

1. Gagarin’s Start

April 12 1961 is a date for the history books – and it all started at Launch Pad No. 1 (AKA Gagarin’s Start), where Yuri Gagarin became the first human to rocket into space and orbit Earth. You can peer into the 45m deep launch pad and pay your respects to a near-mythical site that’s due to be decommissioned in the 2020s.

2. Museum of Baikonur Cosmodrome History

The in-house museum is the best place to swot up on your space history. You can watch a presentation on a restored Buran space shuttle – which looks more like a giant jet plane than a slim line 21st-century space ship – and peruse a line-up of rocket engines and early computers. A complete gallery of signed crew photographs reveals the human faces behind the rocket launches, including poignant snapshots of astronauts who died while on mission.

3. Korolev & Gagarin cottages

Two unassuming cottages plant themselves opposite the museum. These are where lead rocket engineer Sergei Korolev and astronaut Yuri Gagarin stayed in the days leading up to the mission that would launch the first human into space. They’re surprisingly moving time capsules of Soviet-era Kazakhstan – retro mid-century tables and lamps included.

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How to get to Baikonur Cosmodrome

It’s wisest to hop on a small group holiday to Kazakhstan that includes Baikonur Cosmodrome on the itinerary. That way, you can leave arranging the complicated transport options (it’s all trains, planes and automobiles), passes and currency (since Baikonur Cosmodrome is still technically a pocket of Russian territory) up to the experts.

Organised trips are headed up by a specialist guide who’ll fill you in on Stalin, the steppe and the stars.

Most trips start in capital city Astana, where futuristic architecture warms you up for your voyage into space exploration. You’ll then set off for Baikonur Cosmodrome – a domestic flight south and 3.5-hour drive through the stark steppe. It all gives you just enough time to really appreciate the sheer size of Kazakhstan. Don’t think you’re heading to Baikonur, either. The cosmodrome was named after the city 200km northeast to throw US spies off the scent. You’ll usually spend two days exploring Baikonur Cosmodrome before continuing your travels through Kazakhstan.