Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome and Soyuz rocket launch in pictures

With the demise of NASA’s space shuttle program, Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome has now become a main launching point for rockets headed to the International Space Station. And now you can check out the Kazakhstan-based facility without hopping on a plane, as The Atlantic’s In Focus blog has compiled more than 40 images of the location, including the Soyuz rocket, which only recently launched on its way to the ISS. And if that’s not enough, you can also view a great image gallery of the rocket’s launch courtesy of NASA. Of course, the Russian crew will eventually have some company from SpaceX, which plans to launch its ISS mission on May 19th, pending any further delays. Though the Russian program does have a secret weapon — a robot that lets you feel whatever it touches in space.