Kapustin Yar (Russian: Капустин Яр) is a Russian rocket launch and development site in Astrakhan Oblast, between Volgograd and Astrakhan. Known today as Znamensk (Russian: Знаменск), it was established 13 May 1946 and in the beginning used technology, material, and scientific support from defeated Germany. Numerous launches of test rockets for the Russian military were carried out at the site, as well as satellite and sounding rocket launches.
The 4th Missile Test Range "Kapustin Yar" was established by a decree of the Soviet Government "On Questions of Jet Propelled Weapons" on the 13th May 1946. The test range was created under the supervision of General-lieutenant Vasily Voznyuk (commander in chief of the test range 1946-1973) in the desert north end of the Astrakhan region. The first rocket was launched from the site on October 18, 1947; it was one of eleven German A-4s that had been captured.
The State R&D Test Range No 8 (GNIIP-8, "test range S") was established at Kapustin Yar in June 1951.
Five atmospheric nuclear tests of small power (10-40 kt) were performed over the site in 1957-1961 [1].
With the further growth and development, the site became a cosmodrome, serving in this function since 1966 (with interruption in 1988-1998). The town of Znamensk was established to support the scientists working on the facilities, their families, and supporting personnel. Initially this was a secret city, not to be found on maps and inaccessible to outsiders.
Evidence of the importance of Kapustin Yar was obtained by Western intelligence through debriefing of returning German scientists and spy flights. The first such flight reportedly took place in mid-1953 using a high flying Canberra aircraft of the RAF. Numerous circumstantial reports suggest this flight took place, using either a Canberra B2 or a PR3, but the UK Government has never admitted such a flight took place nor have any of the supposed participants provided direct evidence[1][2]
Kapustin Yar is also the site of numerous Soviet-era UFO sightings and has been called "Russia's Roswell".[3]
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Missiles tested/launched
- October 1947 - A-4 (V-2)
- 1947-10-18 - Articul T (exact copy of V-2)
- ? - S-25 Berkut
- 1948-10-10 - R-1
- 1955-01-03 - R-11FM
- 1955-01-20 - R-5M
- 1956-02-02 - R-5M with standard nuclear warhead
- 1957-06-22 - R-12
- March 1959 - R-13
- 1960-07-06 - R-14 Chusovaya
- 1962-02-11 - R-14U
- 1962-03-16 - 11K63 Cosmos
- 1974-09-21 - RT-21M RSD-10 Pioneer
- 1999-02-12 - S-400
Launch pads
| Name | Coordinates | Comment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burya Launch Complex | Kapustin Yar Burya | 48°24′00″N 46°19′48″E / 48.4000°N 46.3300°E | Burya. Elaborate complex consisting of horizontal assembly building, huge circular rail line, and mobile erector/launcher. Built at the Soviet Vladimirovka flight test facility south of Kapustin Yar. |
| Area 84 | Kapustin Yar LC84 | 48°33′00″N 46°15′00″E / 48.5500°N 46.2500°E | Launch Pads: 1. R-5, RT-15. R-5 Launch complex consisting of 3 pads. |
| Area 86 | Kapustin Yar LC86 | 48°32′24″N 46°15′00″E / 48.5400°N 46.2500°E | Launch Pads: 4. Kosmos 11K63, Kosmos 63S1, Kosmos 63S1M, R-31. Single launch complex consisting of 4 launch pads. |
| Area 107 | Kapustin Yar LC107 | 48°35′24″N 46°17′36″E / 48.5900°N 46.2933°E | Launch Pads: 2. Kosmos 11K65M, Kosmos 65MP, R-14. Single launch complex consisting of 2 launch pads. |
| Mayak-1 silo | Kapustin Yar Mayak-1 | 48°33′00″N 46°15′00″E / 48.5500°N 46.2500°E | Launch Pads: 1. R-12. |
| Mayak-2 silo | Kapustin Yar Mayak-2 | 48°33′00″N 46°15′00″E / 48.5500°N 46.2500°E | Launch Pads: 1. Kosmos 63S1, R-12. |
| Pioner Launch Complex | Kapustin Yar Pioner | 48°37′12″N 46°15′00″E / 48.6200°N 46.2500°E | Rail-served launch complex. |
| Area 1 | Kapustin Yar PL1 | 48°24′00″N 46°12′00″E / 48.4000°N 46.2000°E | Launch Pads: 1. R-12. |
| Area 87 | Kapustin Yar PL87 | 48°30′00″N 45°48′00″E / 48.5000°N 45.8000°E | Launch Pads: 1. RT-2. |
| R-1 Launch Area | Kapustin Yar R-1 | 48°48′00″N 45°40′12″E / 48.8000°N 45.6700°E | |
| R-11 Launch Area | Kapustin Yar R-11 | 48°42′00″N 46°12′00″E / 48.7000°N 46.2000°E | Naval missile test area. |
| R-14 Silo Prototype | Kapustin Yar R-14 | 48°30′36″N 46°15′36″E / 48.5100°N 46.2600°E | |
| R-2 Launch Area | Kapustin Yar R-2 | 48°46′48″N 45°42′00″E / 48.7800°N 45.7000°E | |
| R-5 Initial Launch Area | Kapustin Yar R-5 | 48°45′00″N 45°45′00″E / 48.7500°N 45.7500°E | |
| SM-49 submarine simulator | Kapustin Yar SM-49 | 48°30′00″N 45°48′00″E / 48.5000°N 45.8000°E | Launch Pads: 1. R-11FM. |
| Sounding rocket launch area | Kapustin Yar Sounding | 48°42′00″N 46°12′00″E / 48.7000°N 46.2000°E | |
| V-2 Launch Area | Kapustin Yar V-2 | 48°33′00″N 45°49′12″E / 48.5500°N 45.8200°E | Original site for V-2 launches in 1946. First complex at Kapustin Yar. |
| Vertikal Launch Pad | Kapustin Yar Vertikal | 48°30′00″N 46°46′48″E / 48.5000°N 46.7800°E | Launch Pads: 1. Launch site for R-5 scientific launches, located well east of the primary military launch areas. |
See also
External links
- Web-site of Kapustin Yar
- History and map of Kapustin Yar
- 1953 Spyflight by RAF
- @www.aviation.ru
- Launch Pads of Kapustin YAR
Coordinates: 48°35.16′N 45°43.20′E / 48.586°N 45.72°E
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Notes
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This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (July 2008) |
- ^ Lashmar, Paul: "Spy Flights of the Cold War" Sutton Publishing 1998 ISBN 0 7509 1970 1 pp 76-83.
- ^ Pedlow, Gregory W and Welzenbach, Donald E: "The CIA and the U-2 Program, 1954-1974" History Staff Centre for the Study of Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency p23.
- ^ Featured in the 2005 UFO Files documentary episode "Russian Roswell" which aired on the History Channel.
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