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Conceptual design of future Soyuz-5 rocket finished in Russia

The Soyuz-5 carrier rocket is being designed for Russian-Kazakh launch project Bayterek

MOSCOW, December 10. /TASS/. The conceptual design of Russia’s prospective Soyuz-5 carrier rocket has been completed, the press service of Russia’s Progress Rocket and Space Center told TASS.

"The conceptual design has been completed and is now undergoing evaluation," the press service said.

Once the blueprints of the new rocket are examined by experts, they will be sent for approval to Russia’s state-run space corporation Roscosmos.

The Soyuz-5 carrier rocket is being designed for Russian-Kazakh launch project Bayterek.

In 2018, the Russia and Kazakhstan signed a protocol on amendment of the 2004 inter-governmental agreement on the creation of the Bayterek complex at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The protocol defines the sides’ obligations, as well as the procedure of the withdrawal of rent and handover of the Zenit-M complex ground infrastructure to Kazakhstan for modernization.

Kazakhstan is responsible for creating the ground infrastructure by upgrading the Zenit-M rocket complex while Russia develops Soyuz-5 and Soyuz-6 carrier rockets that will be launched from there. The first launch is scheduled for late 2023. The launching complex will be named the Nazarbayev’s Start, after Kazakhstan’s first president.

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