Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 41

Site 41 (Lesobaza)
Launch site Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Location 62°55′53″N 40°31′48″E / 62.93139°N 40.53000°E / 62.93139; 40.53000Coordinates: 62°55′53″N 40°31′48″E / 62.93139°N 40.53000°E / 62.93139; 40.53000
Short name Pu-41
Operator Soviet Space Forces
Launch pad(s) One
Launch history
Status Demolished
Launches 310
First launch 14 December 1965
Last launch 15 September 1989
Associated rockets R-7A Semyorka
Vostok-2
Vostok-2M
Voskhod
Soyuz-U

Site 41, also known as Lesobaza and SK-1, was a launch complex at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia. It consisted of a single pad, Site 41/1, and was used by R-7 derived rockets between 1959 and 1989.

Site 41 was originally built for use by R-7A Semyorka missiles. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, an armed missile was placed on Site 41. It would have had a response time of 8-12 hours should an order have been given to launch it.[1] No launches were conducted from Site 41 whilst it was operational.

In 1963, the complex was converted for use by carrier rockets. The first launch from the complex was a suborbital test of an R-7A Semyorka missile, on 14 December 1965. The first orbital launch from the complex occurred on 17 March 1966, when a Vostok-2 rocket launched Kosmos 112. In total, 308 orbital and two suborbital launches were conducted from the complex, using R-7A, Vostok-2, Vostok-2M, Voskhod and Soyuz-U rockets. The last launch to use the complex was of a Soyuz-U with Bion 9 on 15 September 1989.[1][2] Since this launch, the pad has been disassembled.

References

  1. 1 2 Wade, Mark. "Plesetsk". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 2009-03-18.
  2. ↑ Mark, Wade. "Soyuz". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 2009-03-06.


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