The site was originally built for use by R-7A Semyorka missiles. The first launch to use the complex was an R-7A test on 21 December 1965, from Site 43/3. The first launch from 43/4 followed on 25 July 1967.
After its retirement from service as a missile base, it was converted for use as a space launch complex. The first orbital launch was of a Voskhod rocket with Kosmos 313 on 3 December 1969.
Both pads were damaged by explosions in the 1980s. At 16:01 GMT on 18 March 1980, 48 were killed when a Vostok-2M exploded during fuelling operations at Pad 4, ahead of the launch of a Tselina-D satellite. On 18 June 1987, a Soyuz-U rocket exploded at liftoff on Pad 3.[1] Both were rebuilt, and are in service as of 2009.
