MAI Students Visited Rocket Launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome

On December 21–25, an excursion trip to the Baikonur Cosmodrome (Republic of Kazakhstan) for students of Moscow Aviation Institute and schoolchildren, planning to enter the university on a targeted intake, was held. The event was organized by Roscosmos State Corporation. In the framework of the trip, the young people took part in the launch of the Proton-M launch vehicle.

From MAI, six students from the School No. 6 "Aerospace", School No. 3 "Control Systems, Informatics and Power Engineering" and School No. 1 "Aircraft Engineering" participated in the event. The students passed the competitive selection: the trip was attended by the most successful and active representatives of MAI community.

The program consisted of three main parts: a visit to the enterprises involved in the creation of space rocket technology; a trip to the MAI branch "Voskhod"; the culmination of the trip was the observation of the launch of the Proton-M heavy carrier rocket with the Electro L-3 spacecraft on board.

MAI Students at the Cosmodrome 

At the cosmodrome, the young people were shown not only the launch, but also the entire cycle that the rocket passes before launch: the removal of the spacecraft from the hangar, the process of its verticalization, and checking all systems. Then, MAI students together with the leadership of Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center and Roscosmos State Corporation were able to see the vehicle launch.

Also, the MAI representatives had an informal meeting with Director General of the Khrunichev Space Center Alexey Varochko (who is also a graduate of Moscow Aviation Institute), general Designer and employees of the Center. In an atmosphere of maximum openness, the young people were able to ask all their questions regarding the space industry in general and the activities of the center in particular.

Industry Tour

During excursion trips to Baikonur enterprises, the MAI students visited the TsENKI Center for Operation of Space Ground-Based Infrastructure, where the managers of space station processing facility presented them the stages of launch vehicle installation, the Progress Rocket Space Centre and RSC Energia branches at Baikonur.

In addition, the students visited the history museum of the Baikonur Cosmodrome, where they had the opportunity to inspect the Buran spacecraft and the memorial houses of Sergei Korolev and Yuri Gagarin. Students and schoolchildren also visited the Gagarinsky Launch, a launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, from which on April 12, 1961, the Vostok spacecraft launched for the first time in the world with pilot-cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on board.

MAI Students from Moscow met with MAI Students of Baikonur

At the end of the excursion program, the students went to the “Voskhod” branch of Moscow Aviation Institute, where they got acquainted and communicate with the management of the branch, as well as with representatives of the local student council and the students themselves.

MAI students discussed the advanced areas that are now being actively developed at the university, scientific and public projects aimed at developing students. A lot of attention was directed to discussing the issues of attracting students to scientific activities. There was also a conversation about working with applicants, during which schoolchildren from Moscow delegation were told about student life at Moscow Aviation Institute and the development prospects that the university provides.

At the end of the meeting, Moscow and Baikonur students agreed to jointly participate in the project “Trajectory No. 1”, which is being conducted by the School “Aircraft Engineering”. The project is aimed at improving the work of the selection committee at the university, developing scientific and publishing activities and the student environment, expanding relations with external partners.

The result of the trip was the participation of young people in the solemn event of the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, dedicated to summing up the results of the year and rewarding the best employees. All participants of the excursion trip were also awarded certificates of participation in the launch of the Proton-M launch vehicle.