The horrors of the Baikonur cosmodrome

Baikonur today

Baikonur Cosmodrome was recognized as the most “active” for the past year. But despite his experience, he also witnessed disasters, one of which was the 1960s. The fire killed up to 126 people. The reason was the fire before the launch of the fuel tanks due to safety violations, namely, premature activation of the rocket engine.

A terrible tragedy occurred shortly before the legendary flight into space man. The information about her was kept secret for a long time. Humanity learned about the huge number of victims before the collapse of the USSR.

The missile that led to the crash was not refined properly because international relations were strained by the Berlin crisis. By order of Khrushchev, its development was carried out at an accelerated pace. And on the instructions of Nedelin, who led the launch, according to eyewitnesses, it was decided to finalize the ballistic missile at launch. Giving his example to understand that there is nothing to fear, Nedelin himself was seventeen kilometers away at the start.

Already announced thirty-minute readiness, when there was a freelance launch of one of the engines, the flames of which broke through the unprepared for launch pyromembrane of fuel tanks, which led to an avalanche fire. Eyewitnesses tell of waves of fire spreading at great speed, engulfing people who fled from the rocket in horror. Two hours later, rescue operations began.



The tragedy of 1960

The security regime after the tragedy at the cosmodrome underwent serious revision, as well as the organization of missile launches. Therefore, today, Baikonur deserves respect, and therefore it took first place in the launches.



Source: planetologia.ru/