FROM BAIKONUR TO THE STARS
The Baikonur Cosmodrome was built in the 1_. It
was the first cosmodrome in the world, and it is still the
largest and the busiest. It is located in the desert steppe
in Kazakhstan, about?__ km east of the Aral Sea.
A lot of space missions are launched from the
cosmodrome every year. Both Sputnik ? (the Earth's
first artificial satellite) and Vostok 1 (the first spacecraft
with a man on board) were launched from Gagarin's
Start at Baikonur.
The first Kazakh astronaut, Toktar Aubakirov, flew from
Gagarin's Start in 1991. He was a member of the 4
expedition to the Mir space station. Another Kazakh
astronaut, Talgat Musabayev, flew three missions – in
1994, 1998 and 5 _. In 2007, he became the head of
the Kazakh space agency KazCosmos.
Gagarin's Start, which is named after Yuri Gagarin, is
also the launch site for International Space Station
(ISS) missions. In 6 the astronaut Aidyn Aimbetov
was selected to fly on the Soyuz TMA-18M spacecraft
to the ISS. This was the ? launch from Gagarin's
Start. The launch was in 2015, but Aimbetov's journey
to space began more than twelve years earlier. In
he was sent to study in Star City in Russia. This is where
astronauts are trained. The training isn't easy. 'Flying
into space is not like buying a theatre ticket,' Aimbetov
said. After
years of training, he returned to
Kazakhstan in 2009 to work for KazCosmos. He always
wanted to travel into space under the Kazakh flag, and
his dream finally came true on 10 September 2015. ​

Baikonur Cosmodrome is an important and historical site in Kazakhstan. It is known as the first cosmodrome in the world and remains the largest and busiest one. The cosmodrome is situated in the desert steppe of Kazakhstan, about?__ km east of the Aral Sea.

Many significant space missions have been launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome over the years. For example, both Sputnik 1 (the Earth's first artificial satellite) and Vostok 1 (the first spacecraft with a man on board, carrying Yuri Gagarin) were launched from a specific site within Baikonur called Gagarin's Start.

The first Kazakh astronaut, Toktar Aubakirov, had his mission from Gagarin's Start in 1991. Aubakirov was a member of the fourth expedition to the Mir space station. Another Kazakh astronaut, Talgat Musabayev, had three missions: in 1994, 1998, and 5 _. In 2007, Musabayev became the head of the Kazakh space agency, KazCosmos.

It's worth mentioning that Gagarin's Start is not only associated with historical missions but is also used for launches to the International Space Station (ISS). For instance, in 6, astronaut Aidyn Aimbetov was chosen to fly on the Soyuz TMA-18M spacecraft to the ISS. This launch took place in 2015. However, Aimbetov's journey to space started more than twelve years earlier, as he was sent to Star City in Russia for training. Star City is a renowned location where astronauts undergo extensive training. Aimbetov emphasizes that the training process is not easy, as it takes years of preparation and dedication. After completing his training in 2009, Aimbetov returned to Kazakhstan to work for KazCosmos. Finally, his dream of traveling into space under the Kazakh flag came true on September 10, 2015.

In summary, Baikonur Cosmodrome has played a crucial role in space exploration and has witnessed numerous historical space missions. Astronauts from Kazakhstan have also made significant contributions to space exploration, both through their missions and leadership in space agencies.