BAKU, Azerbaijan, Nov. 16
Trend:
The Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry (MDDIAI) of Kazakhstan, Russian Roscosmos State Corporation and the UAE Space Agency have signed a joint letter of intent to implement the first commercial space project "Gagarin Launch" at the Baikonur cosmodrome, Trend reports with reference to Kazakh media.
According to the document, which was signed by the Vice-Minister of MDDIAI Malik Olzhabekov on behalf of the Kazakh side, noted the joint intentions of the parties in the near future to begin a detailed study of a trilateral project to modernize the historical site No. 1 of the Baikonur cosmodrome - "Gagarin Launch", from which the first manned flight into space took place.
“By means of a letter of intent on the Gagarin Launch project, the parties express their wish to establish mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of space launch services. Also, the parties confirmed their intentions to form a legal basis in the form of an intergovernmental agreement, which is currently agreed upon by the Kazakh and Russian parties and is under consideration by the Emirati side,” MDDIAI reports.
It is noted that the key goal of the "Gagarin Launch" project is to preserve the important launch pad No. 1 of the Baikonur cosmodrome and ensure its uninterrupted operation, while each of the parties will have access to launch services.
Roscosmos reports that this launch complex is not used in connection with the decommissioning of the Soyuz-FG launch vehicle in 2019, the last launch of which took place at the end of September 2019.
“If successfully implemented, the "Gagarin Launch" project will provide the complex with a new life, allowing it to accept modern modifications of the Soyuz-2 launch vehicles. The parties plan to involve private investors in the implementation of the project and in the future to carry out commercial exploitation of the complex on a joint basis,” the message says.
It is also noted that Kazakhstan and Russia will enhance cooperation on the implementation of joint projects at the Baikonur cosmodrome.