Inside the Cosmodrome: Where Russia launches Americans into space

A Soyuz rocket sits on its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in September 2013. (Credit: NASA/Carla Cioffi) BAIKONUR, KAZAKHSTAN – That rocket looked so tiny from a mile away. Shining white against the dull beige sands of Baikonur, the Soyuz had three people on board all set for a ride to the International Space Station. From this distance, though, it appeared fragile, like a child's plaything. Standing beside me was a member of the backup crew, Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques. He passed the time talking to me about other launches he had seen. When the Soyuz finally lighted its engines – kicking up dust, roaring in its straps – Saint-Jacques fell silent, presumably counting down milestones as the rocket began its flight. Once set free, the Soyuz quickly sprang up into the blue sky. The crowd of locals and journalists surrounding me cheered. I focused my camera on the rocket and turned back to Saint-Jacques, silently watching its flawless ascent into the clouds. His turn will be in December, carrying on a long line of tradition surrounding each one of these rocket launches from Kazakhstan.