From Earth to space: world's most important spaceports

Images of Russian and world spaceports as World Space Week takes place from 4-10 October 2014

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Russia’s Far Eastern spaceport Vostochny is the first national cosmodrome for civilian use. It occupies an area of about 700 square km. Photo: A Soyuz-2.1a rocket booster with three satellites, Lomonosov, Aist-2D and SamSat-218, on a launch pad of the Vostochny Cosmodrome

Russian Baikonur Cosmodrome is the first and the world's largest space launch facility located in southern Kazakhstan. The first artificial satellite Sputnik 1 was launched from it on October 4, 1957. The theme of World Space Week 2014 is the contribution of satellite navigation to society

Another Russian cosmodrome – Plesetsk is located in Arkhangelsk region, about 800 km north of Moscow. Creation of ground infrastructure for the new rocket Angara and preparing its launch is part of the federal program aimed at developing Russia’s cosmodromes in 2006-2015. Photo: the launch of Angara carrier rocket from Plesetsk spaceport

Kapustin Yar launch facility located in Russian Astrakhan region began to function as a cosmodrome in 1962. Now it is more used for launches of test rockets for the Russian military. Photo: Kosmos 3M before the launch at the Kapustin Yar

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) is a major US spaceport complex built up in Florida. A lot of American space exploration "firsts" were launched from CCAFS, including the first US Earth satellite (1958) and first US astronaut (1961). Photo: space shuttle Atlantis is being prepared to its last mission to ISS on July 8, 2011

China’s Xichang Satellite Launch Centre became operational in 1984. It is mainly used to launch powerful thrust rockets, geostationary communications, weather satellites as well as Chang’e moon rovers as part of China's lunar exploration program. Photo: A farmer walks on a hill by the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Xichang, southwest China's Sichuan province, October 21, 2007

Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou is located in French Guiana. Photo: Ariane 5 carrying ESA’s latest Automated Transfer Vehicle, named Johannes Kepler, February 14, 2011

Tanegashima Space Center (TNSC) is a Japanese space development facility. It is located on Tanegashima island, 115 km south of the third largest Japanese island Kyushu. TNSC activities include testing, launching and tracking of satellites. Photo: A Japanese H-IIA rocket is seen as it rolls out to launch pad 1 of the Tanegashima Space Centre, February 27, 2014

Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota is operated by Indian Space Research Organization. It is located about 100 kilometers north of Chennai, India. The first orbital satellite launch took place from this facility on 10 August 1979. Photo: Chandrayaan-1, India's maiden lunar mission, is taken to the launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, October 22, 2008

World Space Week takes place from 4-10 October 2014, the week celebrates the advances in space science around the world. The start and end dates of World Space Week are meaningful. October the 4th marks the anniversary of the launch of the first human-made Earth satellite, Sputnik 1 in 1957, while October the 10th marks the signing of the Outer Space Treaty in 1967. World's space launch facilities serving as starting points for space exploration in this photo gallery by TASS.