Why was work on Scobodny Cosmodrome cancelled for building Vostochny?

[fredinno]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svobodny_Cosmodrome

The two complexes are very close to each other, are both in Russian territory, and were being built to replace Baikinur. However, developpment was suddenly cancelled for the Svobodny site, and replaced with the construction of a new complex somewhat east. Why?

[kerbiloid]

According to what I can find:
Svobodny was a test site also used as a cosmodrome for unmanned crafts, mostly with converted military rockets used as launch vehicles. It was cancelled in 2007 due to a low launch traffic.
But then it was decided to build a full-featured cosmodrome Vostochny, which would allow manned flights too.
It's being built near the Svobodny place, using its infrastructure.

[fredinno]

1 hour ago, kerbiloid said:

According to what I can find:
Svobodny was a test site also used as a cosmodrome for unmanned crafts, mostly with converted military rockets used as launch vehicles. It was cancelled in 2007 due to a low launch traffic.
But then it was decided to build a full-featured cosmodrome Vostochny, which would allow manned flights too.
It's being built near the Svobodny place, using its infrastructure.

What iom asking is why they didn't just build over the old cosmodrome?

[Nibb31]

19 minutes ago, fredinno said:

What iom asking is why they didn't just build over the old cosmodrome?

Probably because it costs more to demolish old infrastructure that to cut down some trees. Building a launch facility involves a complicated logistics line with several buildings that rockets have to go through in a certain order and with a certain distance between them. Those facilities are dedicated to a particular rocket, so it's usually easier to start with a clean sheet than to try to adapt old buildings.

Most launch sites abandon old launch pads and build the new stuff a few miles away, including Cape Canaveral, Kourou, and Baikonur. The cases where pads are repurposed is more the exception than the rule.

Edited February 27, 2016 by Nibb31

[K^2]

If it happened in Russia, and you can't see why, it's probably corruption. Not always, but it's safest to roll with that as your first guess.

2 minutes ago, Nibb31 said:

Most launch sites abandon old launch pads and build the new stuff a few miles away, including Cape Canaveral, Kourou, and Baikonur. The cases where pads are repurposed is more the exception than the rule.

Pads, sure. But there is a lot of infrastructure that's usually recycled. Hence building new pads nearby, rather than start in a completely new place from scratch.

Edited February 27, 2016 by K^2

[fredinno]

53 minutes ago, Nibb31 said:

Probably because it costs more to demolish old infrastructure that to cut down some trees. Building a launch facility involves a complicated logistics line with several buildings that rockets have to go through in a certain order and with a certain distance between them. Those facilities are dedicated to a particular rocket, so it's usually easier to start with a clean sheet than to try to adapt old buildings.

Most launch sites abandon old launch pads and build the new stuff a few miles away, including Cape Canaveral, Kourou, and Baikonur. The cases where pads are repurposed is more the exception than the rule.

Well, the cape repurposes old pads a lot since it has pretty limited amounts of space...

[Nibb31]

31 minutes ago, fredinno said:

Well, the cape repurposes old pads a lot since it has pretty limited amounts of space...

It does now, but it didn't use to.

[InsaneDruid]

7 hours ago, K^2 said:

If it happened in Russia, and you can't see why, it's probably corruption. Not always, but it's safest to roll with that as your first guess.

Pads, sure. But there is a lot of infrastructure that's usually recycled. Hence building new pads nearby, rather than start in a completely new place from scratch.

For russians are the only ones that grieve for money, eh?

You can't compare a start-1 and rokot-facilities with anything needed for sojus and/or angara. There wasn't much that could be recycled.

 

Actually Vostochny is more or less exactly in the area where the bigger launch facilities where planned for svobodny:

+

https://goo.gl/maps/QPQkfiHx2M92

[fredinno]

3 hours ago, InsaneDruid said:

For russians are the only ones that grieve for money, eh?

You can't compare a start-1 and rokot-facilities with anything needed for sojus and/or angara. There wasn't much that could be recycled.

 

Actually Vostochny is more or less exactly in the area where the bigger launch facilities where planned for svobodny:

+

https://goo.gl/maps/QPQkfiHx2M92

Ah. I suppose the old rockot silos will be used for space launch rockots?