Kazakhstan reimagines Soviet-era space launch sites as tourist getaways
Kazakhstan is transforming launch sites at the world’s first cosmodrome into a tourism hub, aiming to attract 50,000 visitors by 2029 with glamping, hotels, and a children’s camp at the birthplace of human spaceflight.
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00:00The new eco-friendly Soyuz-5 rocket, a joint Kazakh-Russian project, is set to lift off from the ground here at Baikonur from a modernized launch pad by the end of the year, signaling a new era and more frequency to these kind of launches.
00:14Kazakhstan is reimagining Baikonur Cosmodrome, which marks its 17th anniversary this year as a tourism hub between launches.
00:25Russia, which leases the site, has decommissioned and returned more than 50 facilities.
00:30Now, Kazakhstan plans to build new visitor infrastructure around historic landmarks like Gagarin's launch pad, the site of humanity's first space flight, with hotels, glamping sites and even a children's camp.
00:44Join me as I explore how Kazakhstan is turning space exploration into a cultural experience.
00:51This is Modern Nomads.
00:57Baikonur Cosmodrome, set in Kazakhstan's southern steppes, is where the space race began.
01:02The first satellite launched here in 1957 was followed by the first human in 1961.
01:07Long before rockets launched, this land echoed with the legend of Korkitata, a mystic who created the Kobus, an instrument set to bridge the earthly and cosmic realms through its sound.
01:17Legend says this is the Earth's navel, where cosmic energy flows straight into the steppe.
01:23Standing here at Gagarin's legendary launch pad, where the first human blasted into space, I can honestly say you do feel it.
01:33Once hidden behind the Iron Curtain, these Soviet-era relics continue to captivate.
01:38I'm walking at the Energia test complex, once used to prepare the Soviet-era Energia rockets and Buran shuttle for launch.
01:46The towering structures here show the scale of Soviet ambitions in space.
01:56With over 300 sunny days a year, minimal wind and a location near the equator, Baikonur is ideal for space launches.
02:04Earth's spin gives rockets a head start.
02:07But beyond engineering, Baikonur could also serve as a launch pad for diplomacy, innovation and global dialogue with parts of the site envisioned as immersive stays and cultural retreats.
02:20At this point, we are going to develop four areas of cosmic and marine tourism.
02:27The first is educational tours.
02:29The second product is related to cultural and understanding tours.
02:32The third is event tours.
02:34And the fourth is actively active tours.
02:38If accommodation expands, Baikonur could host 50,000 visitors annually by 2029, a five-fold increase from today, prompting experts to imagine new ways to unlock its full tourism potential.
02:51And the vision extends beyond tourism.
03:06As Kazakhstan advances its own space program, including the Baikonur rocket complex, it envisions Baikonur as a hub for science and education.
03:14Cosmos, in first of all, is a dream for people.
03:19It is when people have a dream to study galaxies and new planets.
03:24So in this part, tourism causes a great interest.
03:27And this tourism gives a great motivation for children who can learn about this story,
03:32to inspire the progress that they have achieved in terms of the development of the cosmos.
03:37And where they can learn better and set their goals.
03:42Baikonur is more than a launch site.
03:44For creatives, thinkers and dreamers, it's a boundary between the known and the unknown.
03:49A space to imagine, to create, to reflect.
03:52That is a kind of one-in-a-lifetime experience.
03:55This event really can make you cry.
03:57So I really recommend you.
03:59And when you go to such kind of trips, you have some expectations.
04:05And I had some expectations, but that was beyond all of them.
04:09I highly recommend trip to Baikonur during the launch, during the normal time.
04:14Just to visit the museum and the facility that Baikonur has.
04:18That really touched my soul, touched my heart.
04:21And I really enjoy it.
04:23It was such an explosion of emotions from what you saw.
04:28And you're as if you're surrounded by some new ones.
04:31I don't know, it's so powerful.
04:33It's such a huge energy when you're there.
04:36So, with a huge enthusiasm and enthusiasm, we're back home.
04:42Kazakhstan isn't just a place between east and west.
04:45It's a bridge between earth and space.
04:47The creators of Baikonur Open Air Space Museum say,
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