5 ms·

Scavenging Russia’s Rocket Graveyard Is Dangerous and Profitable

142 points by dnetesn 8y ago

lrn 8y ago
There's no Google maps aerial link in the article which is too bad... because it's mesmerizing & illustrates how remote the location is: https://goo.gl/maps/22sBrQ26abQ2 https://goo.gl/maps/22sBrQ26abQ2
- code_duck 8y ago
  Looks like it's roughly as far from Tehran as Los Angeles to North Dakota, and as far north from Kabul as Minneapolis to Houston.
- pavel_lishin 8y ago
  Don't forget to check out the "street views": https://www.google.com/maps/@45.9200912,63.3389296,3a,75y,87.96h,92.89t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipNuC-2ez2BaYCXCe_yrng7Z84q1F3zsvEw2BwM!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipNuC-2ez2BaYCXCe_yrng7Z84q1F3zsvEw2BwM%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya108.64101-ro-0-fo100!7i6000!8i3000 https://www.google.com/maps/@45.9200912,63.3389296,3a,75y,87...
ivan4th 8y ago
Some of the pics I took in that place (in the mountains & taiga near Lake Teletskoe): http://i.imgur.com/2DwEDg5.jpg http://i.imgur.com/2DwEDg5.jpg http://i.imgur.com/3ISH2C9.jpg http://i.imgur.com/3ISH2C9.jpg http://i.imgur.com/1ymYIbk.jpg http://i.imgur.com/1ymYIbk.jpg http://i.imgur.com/Vl1pmIz.jpg http://i.imgur.com/Vl1pmIz.jpg
- ivan4th 8y ago
  BTW asked our guide if any of his acquaintances were scavenging this stuff, he said smth like "some did... all of them are already dead"
  - orbital-decay 8y ago
    Probably to scare you out :) These seem to be the Souyz debris (green/gray painting), not too dangerous I imagine. Proton-M remains are completely different story though.
    - ivan4th 8y ago
      These particular pieces may not be dangerous, but some other pieces people could find could be with a higher level of contamination. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unsymmetrical_dimethylhydrazine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unsymmetrical_dimethylhydrazin...
      - mxvzr 8y ago
        Wouldn't the harmful stuff eventually dissipate? How long would one have to wait to safely scavenge a booster sitting in the open?
        PeterisP 8y ago
        It's not possible to safely scavenge a booster sitting in the open, because by the time it could be dissipated it will long be scavenged unsafely by someone else.
        deleted 8y ago
        [deleted]
  - myth_drannon 8y ago
    Maybe he read "Roadside picnic" novel recently and mixed reality with fantasy.
- hirzel 8y ago
  Thank you! That reading left me hungry for pictures.
- mxvzr 8y ago
  Altai Territory, Russia: https://www.jonasbendiksen.com/Books/Satellites/64 https://www.jonasbendiksen.com/Books/Satellites/64 Kazakhstan: https://www.jonasbendiksen.com/Books/Satellites/63 https://www.jonasbendiksen.com/Books/Satellites/63 https://www.jonasbendiksen.com/Books/Satellites/62 https://www.jonasbendiksen.com/Books/Satellites/62 https://www.jonasbendiksen.com/Books/Satellites/61 https://www.jonasbendiksen.com/Books/Satellites/61
crypt1d 8y ago
Gave up on the article after an annoying popup refused to close.
- the_real_sparky 8y ago
  http://hn.premii.com/#/article/17360420 http://hn.premii.com/#/article/17360420
wwosik 8y ago
So Roadside Picnic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadside_Picnic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadside_Picnic) vel Stalker is a documentary after all?
- teh_klev 8y ago
  Ha! I was thinking that as well.
- trhway 8y ago
  it was inspired by the Japan Kwantung Army vast fortifications in Manchuria where the older brother served in the years after WWII. There are a lot of other places in Russia which do feel like Stalker though.
paganel 8y ago
The photos taken inside the Buran Project hangar are peak abandoned-pr0n: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Buran+Project/@45.94048,63.3183479,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipNPJFP7MMuQ8FXOw6c6etotAEm7D_-k-7T2XQNd!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipNPJFP7MMuQ8FXOw6c6etotAEm7D_-k-7T2XQNd%3Dw203-h152-k-no!7i1000!8i750!4m5!3m4!1s0x41f44e9b26d1b1a3:0xf489cb14264cdc9d!8m2!3d45.9404798!4d63.3183476 https://www.google.com/maps/place/Buran+Project/@45.94048,63... . Pretty interesting to see an actual space shuttle abandoned among all that '80s electronics and scattered paper-work.
- NietTim 8y ago
  These crazy people went and made a youtube video about it in 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q7ZVXOU3kM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q7ZVXOU3kM
rando444 8y ago
Related: Documentary about individuals that go hunting scrap in active us military target ranges. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4pFat3VTkI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4pFat3VTkI

142 points by dnetesn 8y ago

lrn 8y ago

There's no Google maps aerial link in the article which is too bad... because it's mesmerizing & illustrates how remote the location is: https://goo.gl/maps/22sBrQ26abQ2 https://goo.gl/maps/22sBrQ26abQ2

code_duck 8y ago
Looks like it's roughly as far from Tehran as Los Angeles to North Dakota, and as far north from Kabul as Minneapolis to Houston.
pavel_lishin 8y ago
Don't forget to check out the "street views": https://www.google.com/maps/@45.9200912,63.3389296,3a,75y,87.96h,92.89t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipNuC-2ez2BaYCXCe_yrng7Z84q1F3zsvEw2BwM!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipNuC-2ez2BaYCXCe_yrng7Z84q1F3zsvEw2BwM%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya108.64101-ro-0-fo100!7i6000!8i3000 https://www.google.com/maps/@45.9200912,63.3389296,3a,75y,87...

ivan4th 8y ago

Some of the pics I took in that place (in the mountains & taiga near Lake Teletskoe): http://i.imgur.com/2DwEDg5.jpg http://i.imgur.com/2DwEDg5.jpg http://i.imgur.com/3ISH2C9.jpg http://i.imgur.com/3ISH2C9.jpg http://i.imgur.com/1ymYIbk.jpg http://i.imgur.com/1ymYIbk.jpg http://i.imgur.com/Vl1pmIz.jpg http://i.imgur.com/Vl1pmIz.jpg

ivan4th 8y ago
BTW asked our guide if any of his acquaintances were scavenging this stuff, he said smth like "some did... all of them are already dead"
- orbital-decay 8y ago
  Probably to scare you out :) These seem to be the Souyz debris (green/gray painting), not too dangerous I imagine. Proton-M remains are completely different story though.
  - ivan4th 8y ago
    These particular pieces may not be dangerous, but some other pieces people could find could be with a higher level of contamination. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unsymmetrical_dimethylhydrazine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unsymmetrical_dimethylhydrazin...
    - mxvzr 8y ago
      Wouldn't the harmful stuff eventually dissipate? How long would one have to wait to safely scavenge a booster sitting in the open?
      - PeterisP 8y ago
        It's not possible to safely scavenge a booster sitting in the open, because by the time it could be dissipated it will long be scavenged unsafely by someone else.
        deleted 8y ago
        [deleted]
- myth_drannon 8y ago
  Maybe he read "Roadside picnic" novel recently and mixed reality with fantasy.
hirzel 8y ago
Thank you! That reading left me hungry for pictures.
mxvzr 8y ago
Altai Territory, Russia: https://www.jonasbendiksen.com/Books/Satellites/64 https://www.jonasbendiksen.com/Books/Satellites/64 Kazakhstan: https://www.jonasbendiksen.com/Books/Satellites/63 https://www.jonasbendiksen.com/Books/Satellites/63 https://www.jonasbendiksen.com/Books/Satellites/62 https://www.jonasbendiksen.com/Books/Satellites/62 https://www.jonasbendiksen.com/Books/Satellites/61 https://www.jonasbendiksen.com/Books/Satellites/61

crypt1d 8y ago

Gave up on the article after an annoying popup refused to close.

the_real_sparky 8y ago
http://hn.premii.com/#/article/17360420 http://hn.premii.com/#/article/17360420

wwosik 8y ago

So Roadside Picnic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadside_Picnic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadside_Picnic) vel Stalker is a documentary after all?

teh_klev 8y ago
Ha! I was thinking that as well.
trhway 8y ago
it was inspired by the Japan Kwantung Army vast fortifications in Manchuria where the older brother served in the years after WWII. There are a lot of other places in Russia which do feel like Stalker though.

paganel 8y ago

The photos taken inside the Buran Project hangar are peak abandoned-pr0n: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Buran+Project/@45.94048,63.3183479,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipNPJFP7MMuQ8FXOw6c6etotAEm7D_-k-7T2XQNd!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipNPJFP7MMuQ8FXOw6c6etotAEm7D_-k-7T2XQNd%3Dw203-h152-k-no!7i1000!8i750!4m5!3m4!1s0x41f44e9b26d1b1a3:0xf489cb14264cdc9d!8m2!3d45.9404798!4d63.3183476 https://www.google.com/maps/place/Buran+Project/@45.94048,63... . Pretty interesting to see an actual space shuttle abandoned among all that '80s electronics and scattered paper-work.

NietTim 8y ago
These crazy people went and made a youtube video about it in 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q7ZVXOU3kM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q7ZVXOU3kM

rando444 8y ago

Related: Documentary about individuals that go hunting scrap in active us military target ranges. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4pFat3VTkI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4pFat3VTkI