Military space and strategic missile launchers are as closely related as the sky and the stars.

Currently, the Aerospace Forces are once again part of the Strategic Missile Forces, in accordance with military reform plans.

The new integration was immediately marked by a very significant event: the birth of a new cosmodrome in the Russian Far East. It was then that the Russian Aerospace Forces performed a "Russian miracle" by launching a spacecraft into orbit for the first time in the world using a light-class solid-fuel rocket. The accuracy was five times higher than expected!

In accordance with Russia's Federal Space Program, the Government of the Russian Federation has ordered the implementation of the XXI Century project to create the Strela rocket and space system in the village of Svobodnoye in the Amur Region.

The Svobodny Cosmodrome remains the only place in Russia where new-generation rockets can be launched.

March 4, 1997, has already taken its place in the chronicle of space exploration. On that frosty morning, the silence of the Amur taiga was shattered by the thunder of a rocket. On 12 April 1997, the Zeya satellite was launched into a sun-synchronous orbit above the illuminated hemisphere of the Earth by the Russian Aerospace Forces from the launch pad of the mobile Topol complex using the Start-1.2 light-class missile, a conversion version of the RS-12M intercontinental ballistic missile (known in the West as the SS-25). This marked the birth of the first Far Eastern (and second in Russia) cosmodrome, Svobodny.

Without exaggeration, what happened two years ago can be called a feat. In the place of the missile division of the Strategic Missile Forces, which was disbanded in accordance with the SALT II Treaty, equipment was installed and a sniper launch was carried out in the face of underfunding, the collapse of the economy and its military-space industry, the severance of economic ties, the outflow of scientific personnel, and the decline in the prestige of military service. After all, the spacecraft was launched into orbit with fantastic accuracy, which was five times higher than the calculated value. This was the first time such a result was achieved in the world's history of space exploration, which spans almost 40 years.

The birth of the Far Eastern cosmodrome confirmed that Russia was, is, and will remain a great space power, despite the difficulties it faces. The launch of the Start-1.2 rocket was dubbed the "Russian Miracle." Other members of the space club were also conducting similar research, aiming to reach the stars using solid-fuel rockets. However, in the United States, solid-fuel rockets have exploded twice during launches. France has failed to place a satellite into orbit using a similar rocket. China has also experienced setbacks. And only Russian scientists and designers were able to accomplish what the leading powers could not. The miracle was performed by specialists in uniform - the warriors of the Military Space Forces.

As a result of the military reform, the Aerospace Forces were merged into the Strategic Missile Forces. Although another launch was conducted from the Svobodny Cosmodrome, this time for the American mapping satellite Early Bird, there were rumors that the Far Eastern space port was gradually declining. Other projects were being proposed that were more promising and cost-effective. For example, the unprecedented launch of a German satellite by a ballistic missile from a Russian submarine in the Barents Sea. The successful launch was carried out from a floating sea-based spaceport, which was developed by an international consortium of Russia, the United States, Norway, Ukraine, and several other countries. Allegedly, it is no longer possible for Freiden to compete for foreign customers, as the highly publicized American "Early Bird" program has not yielded the expected profits.

According to Major General Alexander Nikolaevich Vinidiktov, the head of the Svobodny Cosmodrome, this is both true and false.

Work continues at the cosmodrome to prepare for two commercial launches of foreign satellites. Potential investors are showing increased interest in our cosmodrome. There have been delays in launches, but they are the fault of the launch companies. The Americans delayed the first "Early Bird" launch by almost a year. However, an unexpected event occurred in orbit. The satellite was placed on a trajectory with unprecedented accuracy, but the Americans mistakenly sent the wrong command to the "Bird." Now the facility is completely deprived of power and is not doing the work that the Americans themselves, as well as representatives of the other ten countries that have invested in the project, expected it to do.

The economic situation in the country has, of course, significantly altered the plans that were drawn up during the deployment of the cosmodrome in 1994-1995. For example, the program for launching medium-class rockets, such as the Rokot, using one of the five silo launchers that remained after the disbandment of the Strategic Missile Forces division under the SALT II Treaty, has been postponed. Additionally, the delivery of components for heavy rockets, such as the Angara, has been delayed. The tunnels on the Trans-Siberian Railway do not allow for the transportation of bulky elements of the complex to the cosmodrome. However, in a more favorable economic situation, this could be done using transport aircraft such as the Ruslan or the Mriya, which were originally designed to deliver the reusable Buran spacecraft to Baikonur.

The industrial potential of the Russian Far East allows for the assembly of spacecraft right here, near the cosmodrome.

Sea launches (from under the water or from a floating platform towed to the equator) are scientifically interesting, but practice has shown that there is no more convenient or successful location for a Russian cosmodrome than Svobodny. Baikonur is a dead end. Launching from Plesetsk is much more expensive. In addition, the rockets fly over inhabited areas. One of the advantages of Svobodny is that the trajectory of the spent stages falls in completely uninhabited areas of Yakutia.

It is no coincidence that on January 5, 1999, the Government of the Russian Federation issued an order to establish the Strela space complex at the Svobodny cosmodrome. Like the previous Start program, Strela is included in Russia's Federal Space Program.

A couple of years ago, one of the Moscow-based companies that is part of the military-industrial complex won a competition with other companies to create a very promising satellite system that would be launched by a military-purpose launch vehicle that was on combat duty. Then, the Machine-Building Research and Production Association proposed a project to the government and won a contract to implement it. This project was named "Strela."

It turned out that it could only be launched from the Svobodny cosmodrome. It was impossible to launch it from Baikonur or Plesetsk. Therefore, work on the Strela was given priority.

At the Svobodny Cosmodrome, in accordance with the Government's orders, a group of specialists, both military and civilian, began working on the site with representatives of the General Staff and the Strategic Missile Forces, conducting reconnaissance and determining the specific stages of creating a new rocket and space system. The main difference between Strela and Rokot is in the upper stage and, of course, in the payloads of the spacecraft that will be launched into orbit. However, the Rokot programquot; can be launched from any spaceport, while Strela can only be launched from Svobodny.

The Strela has both military and civilian applications. You can make a lot of money from this system by doing commercial launches.

Nowadays, Russian space exploration is supported by joint programs. Our scientific and engineering developments are Russian, but the data comes from abroad.

For example, during the preparation of the first launches, the Americans built the best facilities in Svobodnoye, which remain the property of Russia. This means that all subsequent launches of foreign satellites will be paid for. The funds received will allow for the development of military areas in practical space, which the government does not have enough money for. Foreign investments provide an opportunity to generate extra-budgetary funds, place orders, and create new jobs for scientists and engineers.

But politics are involved. And very often lately, the American side is trying to influence those who give the opportunity to carry out projects beneficial to Russia. Last year, two foreign satellites were supposed to be launched from Svobodny - a Swedish and an American one. The Swedes do not have time, and the Americans... The United States would like to remain the only superpower in space, dictating its own terms. But they also have something to learn from us. Therefore, there will be launches from Svobodny. There will be a Russian cosmodrome in the Far East. But this is a chronicle of the upcoming 21st century.

Although it is clear that it is impossible for a single prosperous cosmodrome to exist in the midst of a severe economic crisis and the decline of once-leading industries. The future of the Svobodny cosmodrome lies in the future of Russia.

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