Sary Shagan (; ) is an anti-ballistic missile testing range located in Kazakhstan at coordinates . On 17 August 1956 the Soviet Council of Ministers authorized plans for an experimental facility for missile defense located at Sary Shagan, on the west bank of Lake Balkhash. The first missile launched from the facility was a V-1000 on 16 October 1958, but the facilities for full scale testing were not ready until 1961. Sary Shagan remains in use to this day, with the latest known launch at 16 October 2012. Sary Shagan was a closed city until 2005.[citation needed]