Kazakhstan, a country often overlooked in space travel discussions, has been at the forefront of Russia’s space program for decades. A new photo book by Irish photographer Andrew McConnell sheds light on this fascinating world.
McConnell’s fascination with astronauts’ return to Earth began after witnessing footage of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft crash-landing on the remote Kazakh Steppe 10 years ago. He became captivated by the idea that despite being in space for three-and-a-half hours, these astronauts would land in the middle of nowhere, unseen by most.
The photographer’s first trip to Kazakhstan in 2015 marked the beginning of over a dozen visits to document the country’s role in space travel. With NASA having decommissioned its Space Shuttle program, Russia was the only gateway to the International Space Station (ISS) at the time. McConnell worked with local photographers and waited for the capsule’s reentry, capturing portraits of astronauts as they returned home.
However, it was not just astronauts that caught McConnell’s attention – the villagers from nearby settlements who would gather to watch these events unfold were equally fascinating. “I was struck by how, sometimes, you didn’t know what planet you were on,” McConnell said. The photographer’s images reveal a contrast between the modern-day nomad – astronaut – and the original nomads.
The book “Some Worlds Have Two Suns” not only showcases McConnell’s stunning photographs but also explores Kazakhstan’s role in Russia’s space program dating back to the 1950s. The Baikonur Cosmodrome, where many historic space missions took place, is now facing a decline as Russia continues to invest in its own space facility.
The launch of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and Boeing’s Starliner test mission mark a significant shift in the space industry, with Kazakhstan’s role becoming increasingly obsolete. McConnell believes that this will lead to the fading of the Baikonur Cosmodrome, making his book not only a tribute to Kazakhstan’s past but also a poignant commentary on the changing landscape of space travel.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/30/style/kazakhstan-andrew-mcconnell-soyuz/index.html