Kazakhstan’s Senate ratifies protocol to build Baiterek space launch facility

Kazakhstan’s Senate ratified the protocol on amendments and supplements to the agreement between the governments of Kazakhstan and Russia on building the Baiterek space launch facility at the Baikonur space center signed on December 22, 2004.

"The protocol envisages the replacement of the launch vehicle in the project, as well as the location of the construction site of the Zenit-M space-rocket complex. It stipulates the distribution of financial resources between the parties, according to which the Russian side provides financing for the creation of a launch vehicle and transportation of its components, the upgrading of the upper stage complex, spacecraft and the reentry vehicle," TASS cited the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Defense and Security as saying.

For its part, Kazakhstan provides financing for the maintenance and operation of ground-based infrastructure of the Zenit-M complex and the creation of educational and training facilities for training personnel for the operation of the launch and technical facilities.

Kazakhstan’s Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry  Askar Zhumagaliyev said that the complex will be unmanned.