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ТАСС: на Байконуре задержали граждан Германии и Франции, пытавшихся сфотографировать ракету-носитель
German and French nationals detained at Baikonur for attempting to photograph launch vehicle
Cosmodrome security detained two foreign nationals for attempting to photograph a launch vehicle at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, a source in law enforcement agencies told TASS on Tuesday.
According to the source, the detainees were citizens of Germany and France. They were detained on the night of July 25-26 near one of the launch pads of the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The foreigners had a camera with them and were trying to photograph the launch vehicle.
A criminal case has been opened against the detainees, the source said. They are currently in custody.
The Baikonur Cosmodrome is a space launch facility in Kazakhstan that is leased to Russia. It is the world's first and largest operational space launch facility.
The cosmodrome has been used to launch a variety of spacecraft, including the Sputnik satellite, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth, and the Vostok spacecraft, which carried the first human into space.
The cosmodrome is also used to launch commercial satellites and rockets. In recent years, the cosmodrome has been used to launch the Soyuz spacecraft, which carries astronauts to the International Space Station.