Russia, Kazakhstan sign agreement on construction of Soyuz-5 launch complex — Roscosmos

MOSCOW, September 17 (KAZINFORM) - Roscosmos Center for Operation of ground-based space infrastructure and Basis Construction (Kazakhstan) signed an agreement for construction of a launch complex for the Soyuz-5 carrier rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Roscosmos CEO Dmitry Rogozin said Thursday. According to the CEO, the sides start working on the reconstruction of both start and technical complexes of the Zenit rocket (a Ukrainian-made rocket that was previously planned for use in the Bayterek project), TASS reports. Earlier during his visit to Yekaterinburg, Rogozin expressed his hope that the contract would be signed before the end of September. In 2018, 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.