Core Points - Baikonur Cosmodrome celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, having launched over 1,500 rockets and nearly 2,000 spacecraft into orbit over the past seven decades [1][3] - The launch site, located in southern Kazakhstan, covers approximately 7,000 square kilometers, which is equivalent to two and a half times the area of Moscow [3] - Baikonur has been the site of significant historical events, including the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite in 1957 and Yuri Gagarin's historic flight in 1961 [3] Infrastructure and Facilities - The Baikonur Cosmodrome includes 15 launch complexes, 4 intercontinental ballistic missile test launch pads, 11 assembly and testing buildings, two airports, 470 kilometers of railway, and 1,281 kilometers of highways [3] - Currently, Russia rents the launch site from Kazakhstan and continues to use it for regular launches of the Soyuz crewed spacecraft and Progress cargo spacecraft [3] Historical Significance - October 24 is marked as a "dark day" for the launch site due to tragic incidents, including a fire in 1960 that resulted in 78 fatalities [4] - Despite the gradual transfer of launch operations to the new Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Far East, the Russian space agency plans to continue using Baikonur until at least the expiration of the lease in 2050 [4]