China News Agency, Nuer Sultan, February 25th. According to Interfax news agency reported on the 25th, Russia, Kazakhstan and the UAE plan to jointly fund the upgrade and reconstruction of No. 1 Baikonur Space Launch Site this year.
Russia is quite "expecting" this. "Russian News Network" quoted the general manager of the Russian Ground and Space Infrastructure Management Center Ohlopkov as saying, "We hope to start the transformation plan immediately, or even start tomorrow."
But the complexity of the problem requires Russia to wait patiently. As Okhlopkov revealed to the media on the 25th, the upgrade and reconstruction of the No. 1 launch pad at the Baikonur launch site "is a complex political issue." Russia, Kazakhstan, and the UAE are discussing this. "Partners China needs time to consider. "
The so-called "complex politics" of the problem stems from the different nature of the roles of Russia, Kazakhstan and Afghanistan. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the Baikonur space launch site belongs to Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan and Russia signed an agreement in 1994, and Russia leased the land from Kazakhstan. That is, the property rights are in Kazakhstan, and the right of use is in Russia. The UAE is a collaborator and "service purchaser" of Russia's related space projects.
This has led to disagreements among all parties regarding the sharing of funds for renovation. According to Russian Satellite News Network, the total investment required for this upgrade is about 84 million U.S. dollars. The Russian side hopes that the three will be shared equally. Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have not yet given a positive answer to this.
However, Ohlopkov pointed out that in any case, the transformation project will start in 2020, and the upgrade must be completed before the launch of the "Union-2M" rocket, and the first launch mission is scheduled to be performed in 2023.
The Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan has multiple "firsts" in history. On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the world's first artificial earth satellite here, shocking the world. On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin took the "Eastern" manned spacecraft and set off into space from here, becoming the first man to fly into the sky. (Finish)