Badge "Participant In The First Launch".

[ericlida]

Currently on eBay
Interesting medal

Eric

[Sergei]

I find it difficult to place this medal. Is it about a first launch at the 2nd ЦИП КС (can't translate this thing into English, roughly, the Testing and Application Centre of Space Devices?) which was started at Baikonur in 1962 or was there a separate one at Plesetsk?
Fascinating, the medal is numbered at the obverse?
Sergei

[Lapa]

I find it difficult to place this medal. Is it about a first launch at the 2nd ЦИП КС (can't translate this thing into English, roughly, the Testing and Application Centre of Space Devices?) which was started at Baikonur in 1962 or was there a separate one at Plesetsk?
Fascinating, the medal is numbered at the obverse?
Sergei

Sergei,

Russian opened Plesetsk not very long ago as a space port. I believe that this medal commemorate the first launch from Plesetsk, which the second launch center (2 ЦИП КС).

Marc

[Sergei]

Sergei,

Russian opened Plesetsk not very long ago as a space port. I believe that this medal commemorate the first launch from Plesetsk, which the second launch center (2 ЦИП КС).

Marc

Ok, I think I am getting there (slowly). The medal commemorates the launch of Sojuz-2.1a from Plesetsk in 2004. The other famous one, Sojuz 2.1b was launched from Baikonur in 2006. Reading about this I discovered with great surprise that there is also a launch-pad called Kuru, used for commercial and testing purposes, as I understand.
Still need to figure out about the second luanch center, I was sure it was open in Baikonur first. How fascinating even if you do not collect Russian space medals!
Sergei