Babakin and Conservatorium
Babakin Space Centre
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A view of the hotel forecourt at 08:50am on Wednesday morning,
while waiting for our bus to Khimki for our visit to the
Babakin Space Centre where we would see a comprehensive
collection of relics from Russia's unmanned space program.
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At the Space Centre at 10:36am, Jim Head introduces our
host and guide (far right), who was not only the designer
of much of the hardware that we were about to see, but also famed
as the man who closed the hatch on Yuri Gagarin prior to
his flight into space.
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The audience looks on in anticipation
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We learn that the facility started life as a furniture
factory. At the onset of war, it was converted to aircraft
production as plywood skills used in furniture production
were very similar to those required for building the aircraft
of the time.
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Then into the space age with a description of
Lunar series of un-manned probes. Pictured here
is Lunar 9.
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Sasha, David, Stephanie and Greg listening to the explanations
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In the background is the landing stage that deposited
the Lunakhod lunar rover onto the moon.
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Lunakhod 3, a flight model that was not used and hence
is on display.
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A closer look at the landing stage, showing the ramp
structure (in folded configuration) by which the Lunakhod
rover deploys to the lunar surface.
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An even closer look at some of the fuel tanks on the
landing stage taken by Greg.
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Then on to 'Lunar Zemlya', the Russian lunar sample return
vehicle. The rod like structure in the foreground stretching
from the base to the top of the spacecraft is the sampling
arm which transfers the samples from the lunar surface to
to the sample return module.
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The black sphere on the top of the spacecraft is the
sample return module that returns the lunar samples to
the Earth.
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Behind a transparent barrier is the actual module that
returned from the moon.
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Next we move on to a new guid to take us through the Venus craft
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Jim Head standing next to Venera 8.
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The 'Mars 7' spacecraft with aerobraking hardware behind.
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Then there is just time for me to get a picture of
myself next to Lunakhod 3.
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and another pose...
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and one of Stephanie beside the Lunakhod.
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Dinner and a Concert
At the conclusion of our tour of the Babakin Space Centre,
those of us not staying behind for technical meetings
returned to the hotel.
