The Baikonur Cosmodrome History Museum is situated at Site 2, close to one of the assembly and testing complexes for Soyuz launch vehicles and just two kilometers from the historic Site 1, known as “Gagarin’s Start.” Established in 1965, the museum occupies the building of the former club of military unit 25741.
Exploring the museum with a guided tour makes it captivating and insightful; without one, the displays may seem cryptic. Notably, nearly all cosmonauts visit this museum before their launch.
One prominent exhibit is the combustion chamber and nozzle of the RD-0110 engine. This engine, mounted on the third stage of the Soyuz launch vehicle, has four main and four control chambers.
Above the engine hang pencil sketches by the French artist and modeler Serge Gracieux, depicting various stages of the Soviet manned lunar program. Alongside these drawings are two exquisite miniatures of the Soviet and American lunar modules, donated to the museum by Gracieux and Vincent Meens.
Enclosed in a small black box lies the iconic launch key, a tool used to initiate the launch program of the rocket carrier. This key dates back to the era of the first Soviet ballistic missiles, such as the R-1, and only in recent years has it been retired from use.
One wall in the corridor solemnly commemorates two tragic incidents that occurred at Baikonur on October 24, in 1960 and 1963. In 1960, errors during the preparatory stages for the first test launch of the R-16 intercontinental ballistic missile led to the activation of the second stage’s engine, resulting in the tragic loss of between 74 and 126 lives, according to varying reports.
In 1963, a fire broke out in an oxygen-rich R-9A ICBM shaft, claiming the lives of eight personnel. Since then, Baikonur has observed October 24 as a day of remembrance, with all technical work suspended, no launches scheduled, and memorial events held across the cosmodrome.
Only here, at last, can one truly grasp the inner workings of a rocket. The actual spacecraft itself occupies a mere five percent of the rocket’s total volume; the rest consists of stages designed solely to give the rocket the initial thrust needed to reach space. These stages detach and fall away in the early minutes of flight. Cosmodromes are built in carefully chosen locations where these stages can safely fall without harm, whether into open steppes or into the ocean.
Type of rockets launched from Baikonur cosmodrome
A humble container for a dog, marked by a photo of Laika above it, reminds visitors of the animals that played crucial roles in early spaceflight.
A replica of a sheet of paper on which Sergei Korolev brainstormed names for the first human spacecraft, all beginning with the letter “V,” is on display. The reason for this choice remains an unsolved mystery of Soviet space history.
Nearby is the radiotelephone used by Korolev to communicate with Gagarin on the historic day of April 12, 1961.
Also featured are a cosmonaut’s ejectable seat and a mannequin in a spacesuit, both of which were used in a test flight on March 25, 1961, along with the dog Zvezdochka on Sputnik-10. This exhibit was a gift to the museum from S.P. Korolev himself.
An extensive showcase highlights the evolution of space food, from early tube-packed provisions to contemporary canned and freeze-dried (vacuum-dried) products. On the right, the display includes clothing and personal hygiene items, while on the left, it holds survival equipment for emergency landings, including a water-exit suit for cosmonauts.
The survival kit, known as the “Granat-6” pack, was developed in the 1970s, and today’s cosmonauts use an updated version equipped with a modern flashlight, radio, and medical supplies.
One exhibit showcases components of the Soyuz spacecraft’s space toilet.
Nearby, a model of the Soyuz descent vehicle is on display.
A suit for extravehicular activity, known as the Orlan spacesuit, along with a specialized cooling garment worn underneath, can also be seen. This cooling garment contains tubes through which water circulates to cool the cosmonaut.
A model of the cosmodrome layout shows the Syr Darya River, Krainy Airfield, and the city of Baikonur in the foreground. The museum itself is depicted in the center, near a gray Soyuz model, before three rockets.
A Soyuz spacecraft of an early model stands before the museum entrance.
A container once used to hold a combat payload block, which stored an atomic warhead, is also exhibited.
Finally, the most striking open-air exhibit is the OK-ML1 orbital spacecraft model (product 0.04). This mockup was used for prototype testing and mirrors the real shuttle’s size, weight, and attachment points. Internally, it is only partially detailed. The mockup was originally located on cosmodrome grounds and was subjected to vandalism, leading to its relocation in 2007 to a secured area near the museum. An exhibit was placed inside the mockup at that time, allowing visitors to step closer to space history.
