Плесецкий космодром: история и современность.

Spaceport in Mirny, Arkhangelsk Oblast, northwestern Russia

Plesetsk Cosmodrome is a Russian spaceport located in Mirny, Arkhangelsk Oblast, about 800 km north of Moscow and approximately 200 km south of Arkhangelsk. As of 2024, it is Europe's only operational orbital spaceport and the northernmost spaceport in the world. Originally developed as an ICBM site for the R 7 missile, it also served for numerous satellite launches using the R 7 and other rockets. Its high latitude makes it useful only for certain types of launches, especially the Molniya orbits, so for much of the site's history it functioned as a secondary location, with most orbital launches taking place from Baikonur, in the Kazakh SSR. With the end of the Soviet Union, Baikonur became a foreign territory, and Kazakhstan charged $115 million usage fees annually. Consequently, Plesetsk has seen considerably more activity since the 2000s.

Site 16, also known as SK 2, is a launch complex at the Cosmodrome. It consists of a single pad, Site 16/2, and has been used by R 7 derived rockets since 1960. It has launched a total of 136 rockets across its lifespan. Site 16 was originally built for use by R 7A Semyorka missiles, however no launches were conducted from the complex whilst it was operational. After its retirement from service in 1966, it was cannibalised for parts which were needed to repair Site 31/6 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome following the explosion of a Soyuz U rocket. Work to rebuild the complex began in 1979, and was completed in 1981. formerly used by Tsyklon 3 carrier rockets. It consists of a two launch pads, Site 32/1 and Site 32/2, which were used between 1977 and 2009. It has the GRAU index 11P868. Site 32 is, along with Site 35 and Site 41 one of three sites under consideration for the Angara programme. In 1970, the building of a highly automated launch complex for Tsyklon 3 booster began at Site 32, which was designed by Omsk Transmash Design Bureau led by Chief Designer Vladimir Nikolayevich Chelomey. Following the cancellation of Zenit launches from Plesetsk, Russia had originally planned to use parts constructed for Site 35 to repair one of the Zenit pads at Baikonur that had been heavily damaged when a rocket lost thrust and fell back into the flame trench seconds after launch. Instead, the parts were eventually used on Sea Launch's Odyssey launch platform. When Russia began development of the Angara rocket, launch pads at both Plesetsk and Baikonur were planned. Several existing sites at Plesetsk were considered, including Site 41/1, Site 16/2, and Site 32; Site 35/1 was determined to be the most suitable. Construction began in 2004 but was not completed until April 2014. A second orbital test flight of the Angara A5 took place almost six years later, on 14 December 2020.

Site 41, also known as Lesobaza and SK 1, was a launch complex at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia. It consisted of a single pad, Site 41/1, and was used by R 7 derived rockets between 1959 and 1989. Site 41 was originally built for use by R 7A Semyorka missiles. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, an armed missile was placed on Site 41. It would have had a response time of 8–12 hours should an order have been given to launch it. No launches were conducted from Site 41 whilst it was operational. In 1963, the complex was converted for use by carrier rockets. The first launch from the complex was a suborbital test of an R 7A Semyorka missile, on 14 December 1965. The first orbital launch from the complex occurred on 17 March 1966, when a Vostok 2 rocket launched Kosmos 112. In total, 308 orbital and two suborbital launches were conducted from the complex, using R 7A, Vostok 2, Vostok 2M, Voskhod and Soyuz U rockets. The last launch to use the complex was of a Soyuz U with Bion 9 on 15 September 1989. Since this launch, the pad has been disassembled.

Site 43, also known as SK 3 and SK 4, is a launch complex at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia. It consists of a two pads, Sites 43/3 and 43/4, and has been used by R 7 derived rockets since the early 1960s. The site was originally built for use by R 7A Semyorka missiles. The first launch to use the complex was an R 7A test on 21 December 1965, from Site 43/3. The first launch from 43/4 followed on 25 July 1967. After its retirement from service as a missile base, it was converted for use as a space launch complex. The first orbital launch was of a Voskhod rocket with Kosmos 313 on 3 December 1969. Both pads were damaged by explosions in the 1980s. At 16:01 UTC on 18 March 1980, 48 people were killed when a Vostok 2M exploded during fueling operations at Pad 4. The disaster injured dozens more, while damaging the pad so severely that it was not used again until 1984. On 18 June 1987, a Soyuz U rocket exploded at liftoff on Pad 3. Both were rebuilt, and are in service as of 2009.

On 26 June 1973, 9 people were killed by an explosion of Kosmos 3M rocket, ready for launch. On 18 March 1980, 48 people were killed by an explosion of a Vostok 2M rocket with a Tselina satellite, during a fuelling operation. On 15 October 2002, a Soyuz U carrying the ESA Foton M1 project failed to launch and exploded, killing one.