Editing Baikonur Cosmodrome (section)

===Post-Soviet era===
[[File:Soyuz expedition 19 launch pad.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|A Soyuz rocket is erected into position at the Baikonur Cosmodrome's [[Gagarin's Start|Pad 1/5 (Gagarin's Start)]] on 24 March 2009. The rocket launched the crew of [[Expedition 19]] and a spaceflight participant on 26 March 2009.<ref>{{cite web|title=Expedition 19|url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition19/index.html |publisher=NASA|access-date=9 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524223158/http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition19/index.html|archive-date=24 May 2011|url-status= live}}</ref>]]

Following the [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]] in 1991, the Russian space program continued to operate from Baikonur under the auspices of the [[Commonwealth of Independent States]]. Russia wanted to sign a [[99-year lease]] for Baikonur, but agreed to a US$115&nbsp;million annual lease of the site for 20 years with an option for a 10-year extension.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-14967922.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924140846/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-14967922.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 September 2015|title=Russia, Kazakhs reach Biakonur lease deal |work=Defense Daily|date=30 March 1994|access-date=28 May 2015}}</ref> On 8 June 2005, the [[Federation Council of Russia|Russian Federation Council]] ratified an agreement between [[Russia]] and [[Kazakhstan]] extending Russia's rent term of the spaceport until 2050. The rent price{{snd}}which remained fixed at {{US$|115000000}} per year{{snd}}is the source of a long-running dispute between the two countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Kazakhstan_Finally_Ratifies_Baikonur_Rental_Deal_With_Russia_999.html|title=Kazakhstan Finally Ratifies Baikonur Rental Deal With Russia|publisher=spacedaily.com|date=12 April 2010|access-date=5 January 2011|archive-date=14 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150514063653/http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Kazakhstan_Finally_Ratifies_Baikonur_Rental_Deal_With_Russia_999.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In an attempt to reduce its dependency on Baikonur, Russia built the [[Vostochny Cosmodrome]] in [[Amur Oblast]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.interfax.kz/?lang=eng&int_id=13&category=exclusive&news_id=28|title=Kazcosmos chief Talgat Musabaev: Baikonur is Still the Core of Kazakh-Russian Cooperation in Space|date=February 2008|publisher=interfax.kz|access-date=5 January 2011|archive-date=19 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719003721/http://www.interfax.kz/?lang=eng&int_id=13&category=exclusive&news_id=28|url-status=live}}</ref>

Baikonur has been a major part of Russia's contribution to the [[International Space Station]] (ISS), as it is the only spaceport from which Russian missions to the ISS are launched. It is primarily the border's position (but to a lesser extent Baikonur's position at about the [[46th parallel north]]) that led to the 51.6° orbital inclination of the ISS; the lowest inclination that can be reached by Soyuz boosters launched from Baikonur without flying over [[China]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://spaceflight.nasa.gov/feedback/expert/answer/mcc/sts-112/09_04_12_54_17.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021204002513/http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/feedback/expert/answer/MCC/sts-112/09_04_12_54_17.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 December 2002|title=Mission Control Answers Your Questions: Why is the space station in a 51.6° inclined orbit instead of something less or something more?|last=Curry|first=John|date=8 October 2002|website=spaceflight.nasa.gov|publisher=National Aeronautics and Space Administration|access-date=28 March 2017}}</ref> With the conclusion of [[NASA|NASA's]] [[Space Shuttle program]] in 2011, Baikonur became the sole launch site used for crewed missions to the ISS<ref name=NASA>{{cite web|title=Baikonur Cosmodrome|url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/baikonur.html|publisher=NASA|access-date=24 December 2011|archive-date=1 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301011937/https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/baikonur.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Russian Craft Docks at International Space Station|newspaper=Radiofreeeurope/Radioliberty |url=http://www.rferl.org/content/russian_craft_docks_at_iss/24431746.html|publisher=Radio Free Europe|access-date=24 December 2011|archive-date=28 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328162550/http://www.rferl.org/content/russian_craft_docks_at_iss/24431746.html|url-status=live}}</ref> until the launch of [[Crew Dragon Demo-2]] in 2020.

In 2019, [[Gagarin's Start]] hosted three crewed launches, in March, July and September, before being shut down for modernisation for the new [[Soyuz-2]] rocket with a planned first launch in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/04/gagarins-start-nears-the-end-historic-launch-pad-to-be-decommissioned/|title=Russia may soon decommission the world's most historic launch pad|last=Berger|first=Eric|date=2019-04-23|website=Ars Technica|language=en-us|access-date=2019-04-23|archive-date=23 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190423223521/https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/04/gagarins-start-nears-the-end-historic-launch-pad-to-be-decommissioned/|url-status=live}}</ref> The final launch from Gagarin's Start took place 25 September 2019. 
Gagarin's Start failed to receive funding (in part due to [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]]) to modernize it for the slightly larger Soyuz-2 rocket. In 2023, it was announced that the Russian and Kazakhstan authorities plan to deactivate the site as a space launch pad and turn it into a museum (in part for tourism purposes).<ref name="gagarinsstartintoamuseum">{{Cite web |last=Berger |first=Eric |date=2023-10-16 |title=After six decades, 'Gagarin's Start' will meet its end as a launch pad |url=https://arstechnica.com/space/2023/10/lacking-funds-russia-will-turn-gagarins-start-launch-pad-into-a-museum/ |access-date=2023-10-24 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us}}</ref>

On 7 March 2023, the Kazakh government seized control of the Baiterek launch complex, one of the launch sites at Baikonur Cosmodrome, banning numerous Russian officials from leaving the country and preventing the liquidation of assets by Roscosmos. One of the reasons for the seizure was due to Russia failing to pay a $29.7 million debt to the Kazakh government. The seizure comes after Russia's relations with Kazakhstan became tense due to its ongoing [[Russian invasion of Ukraine|invasion of Ukraine]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Kazakhstan Seizes Russian Assets At Baikonur Spaceport |url=https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/space/kazakhstan-seizes-russian-assets-baikonur-spaceport |website=Aviation Week Network |date=March 10, 2023 |url-access=subscription |access-date=15 March 2023}}</ref><ref name="rfek">{{cite news |title=Kazakhstan Impounds Property of Russian Cosmodrome Operator in Baikonur |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/kazakhstan-impounds-russian-baikonur-cosmodrom-operator/32317248.html |publisher=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |date=14 March 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108173635/https://www.rferl.org/a/kazakhstan-impounds-russian-baikonur-cosmodrom-operator/32317248.html |archive-date= Jan 8, 2024 }}</ref><ref name="utk">{{cite news |title=Kazakhstan Seizes Russia's Launch Facility at Baikonur |url=https://www.universetoday.com/160720/kazakhstan-seizes-russias-launch-facility-at-baikonur/ |date= March 27, 2023 |first1=Matt |last1=Williams |access-date=8 May 2023 |publisher=Universe Today}}</ref>