My wife being a space nut was surfing the NASA site today and came across these images found at: International Space Station - Expedition One Crew Imagery JSC2000-E-28199 (29 October 2000) --- A train engine transports the Soyuz rocket from the assembly building toward the launch pad at the Baikonur complex in Kazakhstan. JSC2000-E-28204 (29 October 2000) --- A train removes the large hydraulic lifting device responsible for raising the Soyuz rocket into the vertical position at the launch pad.
Remember the days when we would never see such photos and now they can be viewed openly by the world.
My wife has been busy and let me know of more images online from this area of the world. JSC2003-E-59140 (October 16, 2003) --- The Soyuz TMA-3 spacecraft and its booster rocket were transported on a rail car to the launch pad and raised to a vertical launch position at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on October 16, 2003, in preparation for liftoff October 18 to carry Expedition 8 Commander and NASA Science Officer C. Michael Foale, Expedition 8 Soyuz Commander Alexander Kaleri and European Space Agency Astronaut Pedro Duque of Spain to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: "NASA/Bill Ingalls"
JSC2003-E-59141 (16 October 2003) --- The Soyuz TMA-3 spacecraft and its booster rocket were transported on a rail car to the launch pad and raised to a vertical launch position at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on October 16, 2003, in preparation for liftoff October 18 to carry C. Michael Foale, Expedition 8 commander and NASA ISS science officer; Alexander Kaleri, Soyuz commander and flight engineer; and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Pedro Duque of Spain to the International Space Station (ISS). Photo Credit: "NASA/Bill Ingalls"
JSC2003-E-59142 (16 October 2003) --- The Soyuz TMA-3 spacecraft and its booster rocket were transported on a rail car to the launch pad and raised to a vertical launch position at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on October 16, 2003, in preparation for liftoff October 18 to carry C. Michael Foale, Expedition 8 commander and NASA science officer; Alexander Kaleri, Soyuz commander and flight engineer; and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Pedro Duque of Spain to the International Space Station (ISS). Photo Credit: "NASA/Bill Ingalls"
JSC2003-E-59143 (16 October 2003) --- The Soyuz TMA-3 spacecraft and its booster rocket were transported on a rail car to the launch pad and raised to a vertical launch position at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on October 16, 2003, in preparation for liftoff October 18 to carry C. Michael Foale, Expedition 8 commander and NASA science officer; Alexander Kaleri, Soyuz Commander and flight engineer; and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Pedro Duque of Spain to the International Space Station (ISS). Photo Credit: "NASA/Bill Ingalls"
JSC2003-E-59144 (16 October 2003) --- The Soyuz TMA-3 spacecraft and its booster rocket were transported on a rail car to the launch pad and raised to a vertical launch position at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on October 16, 2003, in preparation for liftoff October 18 to carry C. Michael Foale, Expedition 8 commander and NASA science officer; Alexander Kaleri, Soyuz Commander and flight engineer; and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Pedro Duque of Spain to the International Space Station (ISS). Photo Credit: "NASA/Bill Ingalls"
JSC2003-E-59146 (16 October 2003) --- The Soyuz TMA-3 spacecraft and its booster rocket were transported on a rail car to the launch pad and raised to a vertical launch position at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on October 16, 2003, in preparation for liftoff October 18 to carry C. Michael Foale, Expedition 8 commander and NASA science officer; Alexander Kaleri, Soyuz Commander and flight engineer; and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Pedro Duque of Spain to the International Space Station (ISS). Photo Credit: "NASA/Bill Ingalls"
JSC2003-E-59152 (October 16, 2003) --- The Soyuz TMA-3 spacecraft and its booster rocket were transported on a rail car to its launch pad and raised to its vertical launch position at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on October 16, 2003, in preparation for liftoff October 18 to carry C. Michael Foale, Expedition 8 commander and NASA science officer; Alexander Kaleri, Soyuz Commander and flight engineer; and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Pedro Duque of Spain to the International Space Station (ISS). Photo Credit: "NASA/Bill Ingalls"
Good comparison....it could be an ALCO unit, just look at the smoke. Those are great photos Darren, thanks for sharing them.
JSC2004-E-20786 (16 April 2004) --- Train engines are connected to the Soyuz rocket in prep for the rollout to the launch pad. Engineers at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan mated the Soyuz TMA-4 capsule with its booster rocket on April 16, 2004, in preparation for launch of the Expedition 9 crew and a European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) on April 19. The rocket rolled to its launch pad in Baikonur on April 17 for final preparations for its launch. Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
JSC2004-E-21482 (17 April 2004) --- Alexander Zelenschikov, Deputy Chief Designer of RSC-Energia, stands outside a processing facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on April 17, 2004, as the Soyuz TMA-4 capsule and its booster rocket start the rollout to the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in preparation for the launch of the Expedition 9 crew and a European researcher to the International Space Station (ISS) April 19. The Soyuz vehicle is transported to the launch pad horizontally on a railcar from its processing hangar in a process that takes about 2.5 hours to complete. Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
JSC2004-E-21483 (17 April 2004) --- The Soyuz TMA-4 capsule and its booster rocket begin to roll to the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on April 17, 2004, in preparation for the launch of the Expedition 9 crew and a European researcher to the International Space Station (ISS) April 19. The Soyuz vehicle is transported to the launch pad horizontally on a railcar from its processing hangar in a process that takes about 2.5 hours to complete. Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
JSC2004-E-21489 (17 April 2004) --- The Soyuz TMA-4 capsule and its booster rocket roll to the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on April 17, 2004, in preparation for the launch of the Expedition 9 crew and a European researcher to the International Space Station (ISS) April 19. The Soyuz vehicle is transported to the launch pad horizontally on a railcar from its processing hangar in a process that takes about 2.5 hours to complete. Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
JSC2004-E-21490 (17 April 2004) --- The Soyuz TMA-4 capsule and its booster rocket roll to the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on April 17, 2004, in preparation for the launch of the Expedition 9 crew and a European researcher to the International Space Station (ISS) April 19. The Soyuz vehicle is transported to the launch pad horizontally on a railcar from its processing hangar in a process that takes about 2.5 hours to complete. Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
JSC2004-E-21492 (17 April 2004) --- The Soyuz TMA-4 capsule and its booster rocket roll to the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on April 17, 2004, in preparation for the launch of the Expedition 9 crew and a European researcher to the International Space Station (ISS) April 19. The Soyuz vehicle is transported to the launch pad horizontally on a railcar from its processing hangar in a process that takes about 2.5 hours to complete. Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
