I got behind the controls of a Soviet space rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome

We drove in a motorcade from Kyzlyorda to the Baikonur Cosmodrome, forcing the few cars we passed onto the verge. Eventually amid some hilly land to the right of the road I saw the mushroom domes of Baikonur in the distance. 

We were still some way from the Baikonur Cosmodrome when we were told to hand over our passports or ID cards, and strictly forbidden to take photos outside authorised areas. 

We drove first to a huge hangar, now disused, that was once used to Soyuz rockets. Outside the bus I saw concrete office blocks and security checkpoints everywhere. In the museum, the journalists raced around taking photos with bits of rocket, planes, control rooms inside, space food and space suits. 

I had been excited about going to see the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which I’d previously only spied at a distance from the railway line on my way to the Aral Sea. However, it was less interesting than I had imagined, mainly because we weren’t allowed to see any of the bits actually in use. The cosmodrome was under a long lease to Russia (even though Kazakhstan was developing its own space programme) and there was tight control over were our party was allowed to visit. 

Tensions with Russia

Tensions increased between Russia and Kazakhstan over the cosmodrome, which has the world’s busiest launch schedule, shortly before I arrived in Astana, when a Russian Proton-M carrier rocket exploded shortly after takeoff.

A live broadcast on Russian television channel showed the vessel starting to fall apart before bursting into flames, raising fears of the health impact of the highly toxic rocket fuel. In January, Astana asked Russia to scale down launches due to concern about the high level of pollution being provoked in the surrounding region. Russia responded with a threat to pull out of joint space projects.  

After looking around a semi-derelict hall were rockets were once built, we went to the town of Baikonur – a fairly typical and pleasant post-Soviet town, though photos from immediately after the fall of communism showed near starvation, a mass exodus and the town falling quickly into disrepair. 

Toasting Baikonur!

First we had a banquet, with meat, salads, cakes and lashings of beer, vodka and soft drinks. I noticed that like me the other ladies we sitting primly perhaps taking a sip of water but nothing more while the men knocked back the drinks; it seemed I wasn’t the only one worried about the lack of loos on the return journey. 

After the men had eaten and drunk their fill we filed into another room for a round table on investment opportunities in Baikonur. I was pleased to add a very nice pen in a “Baikonur” presentation box to my collection of conference freebies.