NUR-SULTAN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th May, 2019) SULTAN, May 8 (Sputnik) - Kazakhstan plans to start in 2019 to pour funds into the Baiterek project, under which infrastructure will be constructed at the Baikonur cosmodrome that will enable launches of prospective Russian Irtysh carriers, the aerospace committee of the Kazakh Ministry of Digital Development, Defense and Aerospace Industry told Sputnik on Wednesday, responding to its official request.
Kazakhstan-based Baikonur cosmodrome, operating Russian and multinational space programs, is on lease to Russia until 2050. Russia and Kazakhstan have been discussing their joint Baiterek project since 2004. The project aims at enabling launches of environment-friendly Irstysh carriers (formerly called Soyuz-5) that will replace Proton carriers, which use fuel with toxic components.
"We have plans to start financing the project this year. The technical and economical rationale of the project 'Creation of Baiterek SRC [space and rocket complex]' is undergoing state examination. After the economical examination body gives a positive assessment in its feasibility study, the project funding will be passed to the republican budget committee for reviewing," the aerospace committee said.
Kazakhstan has said that it was ready to pour $314 million in the Baiterek project, while Russia is in charge of creating the new Irtysh rocket.
