Kazakhstan’s parliament ratifies protocol to agreement on Baiterek space project

AKIPRESS.COM - Kazakhstan's Senate (upper house of parliament) on Thursday 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, a TASS reported.
The protocol signed in Moscow in August 2018 stipulates the basic conditions for the implementation of the project and its financing. Under this project, Russia is developing the Soyuz-5 carrier rocket scheduled to be launched from the Baiterek facility.
"The protocol envisages the replacement of the launch vehicle in the project (from the Angara launch vehicle to a Russian medium-lift launch vehicle), 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," the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Defense and Security said in a statement.
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.
According to Kazakhstan's Minister of Digital Development, Defense and Aerospace Industry Askar Zhumagaliyev, Russia plans to earmark $916 mln for the Baiterek project and Kazakhstan - about $233 mln.
After ratification by the Senate, the protocol will be submitted to the president of Kazakhstan for signature.