Touring the Baikonur Cosmodrome * Day VI
In the morning I check online to see that the Soyuz has docked successfully with the ISS. We proceed to visit the Cosmonaut Alley where all cosmonauts plant trees before first going to space. Naturally it all starts with Gagarin’s tree. I spot a cool little turtle that looks surprised to see all these people. […]
Touring the Baikonur Cosmodrome * Day V
This is the big day. Tonight we’ll get to see the Soyuz rocket launch at 2:30 AM. But there’s enough time for more cool stuff before that. In the morning we visit the launch pad and check out the rocket already in position and getting ready for launch. Once again getting this close to an actual rocket […]
Touring the Baikonur Cosmodrome * Day IV
Today’s schedule is less intense. We start with another walking tour of Baikonur city hunting for space monuments. Sergei Korolev, the lead Soviet rocket engineer and spacecraft designer during the 1950s and 1960s, smiles benevolently from high above a pink marble pedestal; an assortment of generals, academicians and chief designers cast in bronze look a lot less happy, as […]
Touring the Baikonur Cosmodrome * Day III
The third day is when the real action begins. We leave at 6:00 AM to see the rollout of the real Soyuz rocket that will fly into space in a couple of days. Soyuz TMA-09M is a mission to the International Space Station (ISS) that will transport the new crew consisting of Russian Fyodor Yurchikhin […]
Touring the Baikonur Cosmodrome * Day II
After a good night’s sleep in the centrally-located Hotel Tsentralnaya it’s time for some interesting stuff. Our second day starts with a visit to the Museum of Baikonur History which sounds as exciting as a trip to the mall until you get there and see how cool it is. The museum is well kept and […]
Touring the Baikonur Cosmodrome * Day I
So here I am, about to start my tour of the Baikonur Cosmodrome. After about a year of planning and one night spent in Moscow I arrive at Domodedovo Airport ready for my 3.5 hour flight to Baikonur in Kazakhstan. A bus that has seen better days is supposed to take us to the plane but keeps […]
Guide to Europe’s Microstates: Andorra
Quick facts (most recent available data) Population: 85,082 (11th smallest country by population) Area: 468 sq km (17th smallest country by area) GDP per capita (PPP): 37,200$ (23rd) Visiting Andorra Location and how to get there: Landlocked country located between Spain and France. I rented a car in Barcelona and drove to Andorra. Map Why […]
Guide to Europe’s Microstates: Liechtenstein
Quick facts (most recent available data) Population: 36,281 (7th smallest country by population) Area: 160 sq km (6th smallest country by area) GDP per capita (PPP): 89,400$ (2nd) Visiting Liechtenstein Location and how to get there: Landlocked country located between Switzerland and Austria. I rented a car in Zurich and drove to Liechtenstein, but you […]
Guide to Europe’s Microstates: Luxembourg
Quick facts (most recent available data) Population: 537,853 (32nd smallest country by population) Area: 2,586 sq km (28th smallest country by area) GDP per capita (PPP): 80,700$ (3rd) Visiting Luxembourg Location and how to get there: Landlocked country located between Germany, Belgium and France. I took a flight from Zurich to reach Luxembourg City. Map […]
Guide to Europe’s Microstates: Malta
Quick facts (most recent available data) Population: 452,515 (28th smallest country by population) Area: 316 sq km (10th smallest country by area) GDP per capita (PPP): 26,100$ (41st) Visiting Malta Location and how to get there: Malta is composed of three main islands located about 150 km South of Sicily. I took a short 1.5-hour […]