Kapustin Yar

Kapustin Yar (Russian Капустин Яр; today Знаменск/Znamensk) is a Russian rocket launch and development site in the Astrakhan Oblast, between Volgograd and Astrakhan in the town of Znamensk. It was established 13 May 1946 and in its beginning used technology, material, and scientific support from the defeated Germany. The first rocket was launched on October 18, 1947. It was one of eleven German A-4s (the V-2 rocket) that had been captured. Numerous test rockets for the Russian military, satellite and sounding rocket launches were also carried out at the site.

The 4th Missile Test Range "Kapustin Yar" was established by a decree of the Soviet Government "On Questions of Jet Propelled Weapons" on the 13th May 1946. The test range was created under the supervision of General-lieutenant Vasily Voznyuk (commander in chief of the test range 1946-1973) in the desert north end of the Astrakhan region.

The State R&D Test Range No 8 (GNIIP-8, "test range S") was established at Kapustin Yar in June 1951.

Five air nuclear tests of small power (10-40 kt) were performed over the site in 1957-1961 [http://kapyar.ru/index.php?pg=404] .

With the further growth and development, the site became a cosmodrome and served in this function since 1966 (with interruption in 1988-1998). A new town was established, Znamensk, to support the scientists working on the facilities, their families and supporting personnel. Initially this was a secret city, not to be found on maps and inaccessible to outsiders.

Evidence of the importance of Kapustin Yar was obtained by Western intelligence through debriefing of returning German scientists and spy flights. The first such flight reportedly took place in mid-1953 using a high flying Canberra aircraft from the RAF. Numerous circumstantial reports suggest this flight took place, using either a Canberra B2 or a PR3, but the UK Government has never admitted such a flight took place nor have any of the supposed participants provided direct evidence [Lashmar, Paul: "Spy Flights of the Cold War" Sutton Publishing 1998 ISBN 0 7509 1970 1 pp 76-83.] [ Pedlow, Gregory W and Welzenbach, Donald E: " [http://www.fas.org/irp/program/collect/u2.pdf The CIA and the U-2 Program, 1954-1974] " History Staff Centre for the Study of Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency p23.]

Kapustin Yar is also the site of numerous Soviet-era UFO sightings and has been called "Russia's Roswell". [ Featured in the 2005 "UFO Files" documentary episode "Russian Roswell" which aired on the History Channel.]

Missiles tested/launched

* October 1947 - A-4 (V-2)
* 1947-10-18 - "Articul T" (exact copy of V-2)
* ? - S-25 Berkut
* 1948-10-10 - R-1
* 1955-01-03 - R-11FM
* 1955-01-20 - R-5M
* 1956-02-02 - R-5M with standard nuclear warhead
* 1957-06-22 - R-12
* March 1959 - R-13
* 1960-07-06 - R-14 Chusovaya
* 1962-02-11 - R-14U
* 1962-03-16 - 11K63 Cosmos
* 1974-09-21 - RT-21M RSD-10 Pioneer
* 1999-02-12 - S-400

Launch pads

External links

* [http://www.kapyar.ru/ Web-site of Kapustin Yar]
* [http://www.russianspaceweb.com/kapyar.html History and map of Kapustin Yar]
* [http://www.spyflight.co.uk/yar.htm 1953 Spyflight by RAF]
* [http://www.aviation.ru/facility/#test @www.aviation.ru]
* [http://www.astronautix.com/sites/kapinyar.htm Launch Pads of Kapustin YAR]

Notes