On the 6th of June, 2018, 56th manned space expedition was successfully launched to the International Space Station. The launch of the rocket took place on the spaceport Baikonur shortly before the start of Football World Championship in Russia. In honor of this event the heat shield of the rocket was decorated with the symbol of Championship. Space rocket looked festive allowing our tourists to take great pictures alongside with it.
Our tourists witnessed all the necessary technical preparations being made before the take-off: the carrying-out of the rocket from Assembly-testing edifice, it’s transportation and installation on the take-off field. All our tourists were overjoyed by the close sights of the transportation of the space rocket “Soyuz MC-09”, which was to be sent into space in two days.
With pride and tears on our eyes we bid farewell to the main dubbing crew at the hotel, listened to their report about readiness for the take-off. With the cosmonauts leaving for the rocket, we were sent to the observation point.
Finally, with the given command “key in the starting position’ spaceship “SOYUZ MC-09” was launched into space. Flares of photo cameras, сheerings, fantastical emotions of pure happiness – everybody can share the same unforgettable experience if one decides to join the tour.
This time the cosmonauts had to make 34 circles around the Earth orbit, for the period of two days, before docking with the International Space Station. At the same time our group continued to visit launch-areas “Zenith”, “Proton”, “Saturn”, “Energia-Buran”. We also paid respect to the fallen ones at the “Аrea № 41”, where a tragedy took place taking lives of constructors, soldiers, officers during the failed test of intercontinental rocket on the 24th of October, 1960.
Our group was accompanied by the veteran of Baikonur Korshunov Viktor. He was remembering the days of his youth by sharing his experience with a group and showing his friends and colleagues on photos. Having been serving on the Baikonur since 1972 he witnessed launches of a number of space ships, including “Voshod”, “Molnia”, “Soyuz-M”, “Cosmos”, “Proton K”.
Check out our photos taken on this memorable tour.
