Coordinates: 45.965 N 63.305 E
Baikonur Cosmodrome is a busy spaceports since the Soviet Era, and still plays an active role in the International Space Station (ISS) project. It is located in the desert steppes of Kazakhstan, but the facility and surrounding area are currently leased to Russia space agencies. There are more than a dozen launchpads within the vast area of 90-kilometer diameter. Normally, space stations are placed near the Equator to take maximum advantage of Earth’s rotational speed, like the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. However, the Cold War forced the Soviets to operate here as it is as close as possible to the Equator and still within Soviet borders.
Main article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baikonur_Cosmodrome
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