NUR-SULTAN, July 30. /TASS/. The project of creating the Baiterek rocket compound will contribute to the new stage of the Baikonur spaceport’s development, Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos Representative in Kazakhstan Anatoly Krasnikov said at a briefing on Thursday.
"For the Baikonur Cosmodrome, for the Baikonur compound, this is a very landmark project. This is the bright and understandable future the heads of the Russian space industry spoke about. It is clear for us that this compound will help the spaceport get its second birth and a new stage of its life will begin and new jobs will be created," Krasnikov said, replying to a question about the significance of the Baiterek project.
Today Russia’s Energia Space Rocket Corporation signed a contract on creating the Baiterek launch compound for Soyuz-5 next-generation carrier rockets at the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan, he recalled.
The Baiterek project envisages creating the rocket compound on the basis of the Zenit-M launch site at the Baikonur Cosmodrome for the launches of next-generation Soyuz-5 medium carrier rockets, he specified.
"Today the first executive document of this project - an agreement on concluding a contract on creating the Baiterek rocket compound was signed. By signing this document, we are transferring the Baiterek project implementation into its practical phase," the Roscosmos representative said.
Baiterek project and Soyuz-5 carrier rocket
Russia and Kazakhstan signed a protocol in 2018 on making amendments to the inter-governmental agreement of December 22, 2004 on creating the Baiterek compound at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. It defines the parties’ commitments under the project, the withdrawal of the Zenit-M ground-based space infrastructure facilities from the lease and their transfer to the Kazakh side for the upgrade.
The Kazakh side is responsible for creating the ground-based infrastructure of the Baiterek space rocket compound by upgrading the available Zenit-M launch site. Russia is responsible for developing Soyuz-5 and Soyuz-6 carrier rockets for their launch from the Baiterek compound at the Baikonur spaceport. The first launch is planned for 2023.
Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested naming the launch compound being built for next-generation Soyuz-5 and Soyuz-6 rockets in honor of Kazakhstan’s first President Nursultan Nazarbayev. The launch compound was named the Nazarbayev Start.
The Soyuz-5 (Irtysh) medium-class carrier rocket is being developed by Energia Space Rocket Corporation. The new rocket’s elements and technologies are planned to be used in the first stage of a super-heavy rocket, which Russia is developing for launches from the Vostochny spaceport in the Russian Far East.