The Baikonur cosmodrome began taking shape 60 years ago, and it remains today humankind’s gateway to space.
Space tourists from all over the world are gathering here, in the middle of the Kazakh steppe, to see the launch of Andreas Mogensen and his crewmates on board the Soyuz rocket.
We followed some tourists at Baikonur during an intensive tour of the city and the cosmodrome in 2013. Watch the video for impressions of this unique site and the excitement of the countdown.