Nedelin catastrophe
The explosion | |
| Native name | Катастрофа на космодроме Байконур |
|---|---|
| English name | The Catastrophe at Baikonur Cosmodrome |
| Date | 24 October 1960 |
| Time | 18:45 |
| Venue | Baikonur Cosmodrome |
| Location | Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union |
| Coordinates | 45°58′32″N 63°39′35″E / 45.97542°N 63.65982°E |
| Also known as | Nedelin disaster |
| Type | Rocket explosion |
| Cause | Short circuit in the rocket |
| Organised by | Soviet Strategic Missile Troops |
| Casualties | |
| 54–300 deaths (exact number not known) | |
The Nedelin catastrophe or Nedelin disaster, known in Russia as the Catastrophe at Baikonur Cosmodrome (Russian: Катастрофа на Байконуре, romanized: Katastrofa na Baikonure), was a launch pad accident that occurred on 24 October 1960 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Soviet Kazakhstan. As a prototype of the R-16 intercontinental ballistic missile was being prepared for a test flight, an explosion occurred when the second stage engine ignited accidentally, killing an unknown number of military and technical personnel working on the preparations. Despite the magnitude of the disaster, information was suppressed for many years and the Soviet government did not acknowledge the event until 1989. With more than 54 recognized casualties, it is the deadliest disaster in space exploration history. The catastrophe is named for the Chief Marshal of Artillery Mitrofan Ivanovich Nedelin, who was the head of the R-16 development program and perished in the explosion.