Kapustin Yar

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Kapustin Yar (Russian Капустин Яр; today Знаменск/Znamensk) is a Russian rocket launch and development site in the Astrakhan Oblast, between Volgograd and Astrakhan. It was established 13 May 1946 and in its beginning used technology, material, and scientific support from 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 elevator research rocket launches were also carried out at the site.

The 4-th Missile Test Range "Kapustin Yar" was established by a Decrete of Council of Ministers of USSR "On Questions of Jet Propulsed Weapons" of 13 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 desert north end of Astrakhan region.

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

With the further growth and development, the site became a cosmodrome and served in this function between 1966-1987. 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 map 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 took place in 1953 using a high flying plane from the RAF.

Kapustin Yar is also the site of numerous Soviet-era UFO sightings, though many to all are suspected to have been connected with the missile tests run from the site.

Things tested/launched

A-4 (V-2) Oct 1947
Articul T (exact copy of V-2) 18-Oct-1947
S-25 Berkut
R-1 10-Oct-1948
R-11FM 3-Jan-1955
R-5M 20-Jan-1955
R-5M 2-Feb-1956 with standard nuclear warhead.
R-12 22-Jun-1957
R-13 Mar 1959
R-14 Usovaya 6-Jul-1960
R-14U 11-Feb-1962
11K63 Cosmos 16-Mar-1962
RT-21M RSD-10 Pioneer 21-Sep-1974
S-400 12-Feb-1999

External links

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