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Vostochny Cosmodrome

Plizio editorial teamUpdated: Oct 2026Data Sources

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The Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Amur Oblast is the most modern and ambitious space project in recent Russian history. Conceived to reduce Russia's reliance on the aging and leased Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, construction for this state-of-the-art facility began in 2011 amid the remote Far Eastern taiga. Vostochny was primarily designed to launch the new civilian Angara family of carrier rockets, with the ultimate goal of executing future crewed missions from Russian soil. The first uncrewed launch took place successfully in 2016. The massive complex includes not only enormous launch pads and assembly halls for the rockets but also the purpose-built science city of Tsiolkovsky, which houses thousands of engineers, technicians, and their families. Despite various structural and financial delays, Vostochny underscores Russia's strategic desire to secure its autonomy in the space sector and drive the development of the Far Eastern territories.

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Location: Russia
Highlights: Vostochny Cosmodrome Site 1S · Vostochny Cosmodrome Site 1A

Best time to visit & climate

The most pleasant time to visit is Jun–Aug.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg °C	-28	-23	-11	1	11	18	21	18	11	0	-14	-26
Rain mm	7	8	15	30	80	91	145	111	68	38	19	10

📋 Practical info

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What is this place?

This state-of-the-art spaceport in the Russian Far East serves as the country's first national facility for civilian space launches. It is an extraordinary technological monument aimed at ensuring independent access to outer space, driving significant regional development.

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Visiting

Access to this highly sensitive aerospace complex is generally restricted to personnel, though specialized guided tours have occasionally been organized for enthusiastic tourists. Any public visitation requires immense forward planning and rigorous security clearances.

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Where to view it

The sprawling launchpads and monumental assembly buildings are difficult to see closely from public highways due to extensive exclusion zones. During an active launch, the spectacular rocket ascent can sometimes be observed from designated safe viewing distances miles away.

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Local products

Within the newly built adjacent town of Tsiolkovsky, visitors might find commemorative space-themed merchandise and scale models of recent rockets. The local economy is entirely geared towards supporting the aerospace workforce rather than typical souvenir tourism.

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Active season

The base experiences intense bursts of high activity during scheduled rocket launches, which happen only a few times each year according to federal space programs. Between these rare events, continuous maintenance and engineering work proceed quietly in the background.

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Nearby

Given its extremely remote location in the Amur Oblast, reaching the site is often an expedition in itself, combined with exploring the rugged Far Eastern wilderness. Travellers may also integrate their journey with visits to the regional capital, Blagoveshchensk, on the Chinese border.