Kazakhstan: Baikonur Cosmodrome prepares to mark 60th Anniversary

Baikonur Cosmodrome honoured its employees and astronauts for their service on the eve of the 60th anniversary of its founding, in Baikonur Monday. The award ceremony to those involved in the running of operations at the facility was followed by a gala concert. Speaking at the event, the head of Russia’s space agency Roscosmos, Igor Komarov, stressed the significance of the space centre as a symbol of friendship between Kazakhstan and Russia, as well as a representation of "the power of human thought and dreams." Baikonur Cosmodrome celebrates its 60th Anniversary on June 2. An order was signed on June 2, 1955 to open a testing range for the Soviet Defence Ministry, which later developed into the Baikonur Space Centre.