1998, the 4th State Central Polygon was transformed into the 4th State Central Interspecific Polygon. In 1998, the "Sary-Shagan" test site (located in south-eastern Kazakhstan and rented by Russia) was removed from the Air Defense troops and reassigned to the 4th State Central Interspecific polygon. In 1999, Russian troops were redeployed to the Kapustin Yar test site from the 11th State Research Test Site of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation Emba (ru), due to the dismantling of the latter. In 2008, Russia carried out 27 launches, surpassing its own figure for 2007 and setting the highest number worldwide. Most (19 / 27) launches were performed from the Baikonur cosmodrome; six from the Plesetsk space launch center in Arkhangelsk Oblast; one from the Dombarovsky Air Base in Orenburg Oblast; and one from the Kapustin Yar test site. Missile tests and launches October 1947 – V-2 rocket 18 October 1947 – Articul T (exact copy of V-2) 10 October 1948 – R-1 (missile) January 1952 – S-25 Berkut 3 January 1955 – R-11FM 20 January 1955 – R-5 Pobeda 2 February 1956 – R-5M with standard nuclear warhead 22 June 1957 – R-12 March 1959 – R-13 6 July 1960 – R-14 Chusovaya 11 February 1962 – R-14U 16 March 1962 – 11K63 Cosmos 21 September 1974 – RT-21M RSD-10 Pioneer 12 February 1999 – S-400 3 March 2011 – S-500 4 March 2014 – RT-2PM Topol 20 May 2014 – RT-2PM Topol 28 November 2019 – RT-2PM Topol Launch pads In popular culture Kapustin Yar is mentioned in the story "Cradle in Orbit" by Arthur C. Clarke. Kapustin Yar is mentioned in Alexander Gromov's novel Step to the left, step to the right. (M., AST, 1999.) One of the key missions of the 2003 computer game UFO: Aftermath is the task of finding documents in an underground base located at the Kapustin Yar test site. See also Baikonur Cosmodrome Vostochny Cosmodrome Plesetsk Cosmodrome Svobodny Cosmodrome Area 51 White Sands Missile Range Explanatory notes References Further reading External links Web-site of Kapustin Yar History and map of Kapustin Yar 1953 Spyflight by RAF @www.aviation.ru Launch Pads of Kapustin YAR 1946 establishments in Russia Geography of Astrakhan Oblast Military installations of the Soviet Union Rocket launch sites in Russia Soviet and Russian space program locations Spaceports in Europe V-2 missile launch sites Weapons test sites