Baikonur launchpad explosion explosion, Kazakhstan [1960] Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/event/Baikonur-launchpad-explosion Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Also known as: Nedelin catastrophe Written by Roland Matthews and others Roland Matthews--along with Kieran Fogarty, Fid Backhouse, Joe Toussaint, Janet Zoro, Jackum Brown, and Sal Oliver--is a contributor to 501 Most Devastating Disasters (2013), where an earlier... Roland Matthews and others Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Aug 11, 2025 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot Also called: Nedelin catastrophe (Show more) Baikonur launchpad explosion, explosion of a Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile on October 24, 1960, at a launchpad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in what is today Kazakhstan. An unknown number of people, with official estimates ranging from 60 to 120, were killed, and the disaster is considered the worst single accident in the history of rocket science. At the time of the accident, the Soviet Union was engaged with the U.S. in not only a space race but also an arms race, and the rocket launching site at the Baikonur Cosmodrone was at the heart of both for the Soviet Union. ...(100 of 576 words)

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