CS-2 team at Gagarin's Launch pad and Museum

Saturday morning we could observe the full moon set during our trip in the bus and when we arrived at the MIK.


After a busy morning all SIRAL-2 and DORIS tests were successfully completed at noon. A big milestone reached in the launch campaign!

In the afternoon, a visit of the Gagarin's launch pad and museum was organised for the CS-2 team with the support of the Russians.

While a Soyuz launch was in preparation, we were allowed to approach Launch pad #1. From this place, Gagarin flew for the first time to space in April 1961, made few orbit around the Earth before landing safely. The exact details of the Vostok-1 mission were kept secret by the Soviet regime for a long time. Today this atmosphere of secrecy has mostly dropped and we have been escorted very friendly through these historical places.

Gagarin's launch pad
Note open arms will close when the rocket will be placed on the pad.


CS-2 team at Baikonur launch pad#1


The visit continued at the Gagarin's museum which contains the full memory of what is related to the Baiknonur cosmodrome. Therefore, it is not possible to make a realistic summary of it.
In the yard in the front of the museum, a simple glance carries you form Gagarin to Buran.


A model of the cosmodrome, and the sputnik second model ever produced.
(note the village along the Syr Daria river)


ESA CS-2 team in the museum
From left to right: Rob, Richard, Fabio, Bill and Andrea


Few meters further the museum, the 2 houses where Korolev and Gagarin overnighted the day before the historical mission have been kept intact and can be visited.


The Gagrin's sleeping room.


During this visit we have seen in few hours more than 50 years of Soviet space history. This is very emotional because most of us have been grown up in the excitement of the "race to Space" and seen at the time almost "live' on TV screens the prowess of the space pioneers.
This was in fact reflecting, in the context cold war, the interest the USA and Soviet Union had to get access to space and the price they were ready to pay for it. Today space is also used as a media to develop missions that aim at a better understanding our planet and its complex environment.

PS:
It seems that some French visitors in the past were quiet impressed by the broad scope of objects on display in the museum as they noted it in the "guest book" :-)


Finally a big "thanks" to Venera (means Venus in Russian) our museum guide who had made this tour so living and interesting!