Russia to hand over Zenit complexes in Baykonur to Kazakhstan

Russia will start transfer of equipment at the Baykonur Cosmodrome to Kazakhstan, most likely to its International Space Services Company (ISS). 50% of its shares belong to the Ural Metallurgy Company of Iskander Mahmoudov, Izvestia reports.

The ISS leases launch sites of Zenit carriers at Baykonur and prepares to launch a rocket with Israel’s AMOS-4 satellite.

The ISS was formed for realization of the Land Start project, which supplemented the Naval Start project. Naval Start shareholders decided in early 2000s that satellites weighing under 4.5 tons should be launched from Baykonur using Zenits. The Ural Metallurgy Company got 50% of its shares in 2004. It modernized Zenit-2SLB and Zenit-3SLB rockets and platform.

Russia and Kazakhstan reached new agreements on using the Baykonur Cosmodrome in February 2013 and reconsidered lease of the facility until 2050. Kazcosmos Chief Talgat Musabayev, Roscosmos Chief Vladimir Popovkin and head of the Ukrainian State Space Agency Yuri Alexeyev signed a joint deal on exploitation of Zenit on July 10 within the framework of the Bayterek project.