Kazcosmos chief Talgat MUSABAEV:
BAIKONUR IS STILL THE CORE OF KAZAKH-RUSSIAN COOPERATION IN SPACE

The world's biggest space launch-site, Baikonur, once again found itself on the verge of dramatic changes when it entered the sixth decade of its remarkable history. Russia pursuing its own quite reasonable interests has made a public statement on building Vostochny, a new cosmodrome in Amur oblast from scratch. The first cargo ship is slated for launch from Vostochny in 2016, while a piloted spacecraft is planned to take off in 2018. Astana was obviously at a loss when presented with the news: it's clear that Russia will not leave Baikonur soon, but such outcome is still a possibility.

The chair of the National Space Agency (Kazcosmos) Talgat Musabaev, a Kazakh test pilot and former cosmonaut, who flew on a few long-time space missions and worked as MIR and ISS crew member, told Interfax-Kazakhstan about the current relations between the traditional partners: Russia and Kazakhstan and new Kazakh projects in space.

- Russia is building a new spaceport Vostochny, which, in fact, is named a direct "rival" of Baikonur. Was it a surprise for Kazakhstan and you, personally?

- The rumors about such option have been circulating long ago. However, the intention of the Russian government to construct an entire space launching center with a full-scale infrastructure, "an entire city," as Russian Vice Prime Minister Igor Ivanov said, rather than isolated launching facilities was a surprise for us. In light of Russia's decision on construction and launching the Vostochny spaceport, the number of space launches from Baikonur may decrease starting from 2016. In 2018 manned space vehicles are likely to start traveling from Vostochny, and in our opinion, that means the end of the Russian manned flights from Baikonur. We should be ready for such development.

- How big are the chances of Russia's leaving Baikonur for good?

- Presidents of our countries signed a lease agreement for Baikonur until 2050, so we hope that until that time Russia will not be leaving Baikonur. Kazakhstan has yet to receive an official announcement regarding Russian plans for further use of the Baikonur launch-site, in the wake of launching Vostochny spaceport in Amur region. Russia's plans for reducing its activities at the Baikonur cosmodrome have not been on the agenda of the talks with Kazcosmos, and have never been mentioned unofficially.

Naturally, under these circumstances we are planning to address Roscosmos with a question -- if it has plans to reduce its presence at Baikonur or mulls to warp up its operations there completely.

In accordance with the Russia's plans for Baikonur, we could draft our own program on using Baikonur facilities. We have a few options in store, but we can't reveal our plans now, as we are unaware of what Russia, our key partner, thinks of the issue.

- There is a god chance that the issue could remain "suspended" for a long time. Will Kazcosmos make any preventive steps?

- No. Being unaware of Russia's official plans, we can't do nothing else, but make assumptions. Therefore, we are not going to make any hasty decisions or ill-considered actions. Russia and Kazakhstan keep working in a close cooperation at Baikonur, as it was always the case.

Interfax commentary:

Roscosmos official representatives Alexander Vorobyev told Interfax-AFN that Russia is determined to continue launching space rockets from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, and use all launching pads until the end of the lease. He also mentioned that the frequency of flights from Baikonur will be increasing.

Head of the Russian Federal Space Agency Anatoly Perminov said earlier that first Progress cargo space ship to be lunched from Vostochny in 2015.

Russian President Vladimir Putin assured the public earlier that Russia is determined to continue launching space rockets from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, as well as develop space centers on its own territory. A decision to build a spaceport in the Amur region was made on coordination with experts, Putin said.

Russia has been leasing Baikonur since 1994 from Kazakhstan. In January 2004, Russia and Kazakhstan signed an agreement extending the lease deal until 2050 without altering the annual rent of $115 million. Currently Russia launches all piloted spacecraft from Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

- How the uncertainty about the use of Baikonur may affect joint space projects with Russia?

- I would not consider the issue from such perspective. On the contrary, I can assure you that Kazakhstan and Russia are on the verge of a new strategic stage of space partnership. Kazakhstan and Russian in the first half of this year might sign an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in space exploration and peaceful use of space.

This would be a framework agreement that will allow the parties to expand their cooperation in the space industry. Thus, this document will facilitate signing of other agreements, in particular, the one on Kazakhstan's participation in Russian orbital space navigation system, GLONASS.

Musabaev also said that the sides have failed to reach a common ground on the only issue in the agreement regarding the customs clearing. However, in the near future that predicament would be resolved.

- A prospect of Kazakhstan's joining GLONASS (Russian orbital space navigation system) is being under discussion for the fourth year in a row. However, no final decision has been voiced yet on the date of republic's entering the project or terms of Kazakhstan's participation.

- The agreement on Kazakhstan's participation in GLONASS project could be signed only after Kazakhstan and Russia agree on the bilateral peaceful use of space - such is a legal procedure. GLONASS draft agreement has been already made and approved by the respective regulators on each side. All that we need to do now is to wait for the day "X". We expect it to happen by June this year.

Kazakhstan plans to take an active part in building up Russia's Global Satellite Navigation System (GLONASS), offers its territory for GLONASS ground infrastructure and suggests that a Kazakh satellite be incorporated into the system.

The possibility of using existing Kazakh space systems, including [Kazakh satellite] KazSat, has been analyzed theoretically and will soon be worked through in practical terms. The satellite 'is suspended' on a geostationary orbit over the territory of the republic, which, putting it in simple terms, makes it a retransmitter of signals from the ground-based monitoring system. Consequently, KazSat may become GLONASS' 25th satellite.

By the way, our participation in GLONASS project would not be limited by that. Other KazSat-class satellites that Kazakhstan plans to launch would be interacting with GLONASS as well.

Interfax commentary:

GLONASS is a dual-purpose system, which provides services to the Russian Defense Ministry and civilian users. It offers positioning and timing services for an unlimited number of sea, air, space, ground and other mobile users.

The GLONASS constellation is expected to include a total of 24 satellites, a control subsystem and navigation equipment for users.

The satellite launched in December 2004 is to undergo maintenance this time. Presently, of the 16 satellites in orbit, only 14 Glonass and Glonass-M are fully operational. The last of the three satellites launched into space in December 2007 is prepared for commissioning, which was developed and produced by the Zheleznogorsk applied mechanics research and production association.

KazSat was launched on June 18, 2006 from Baikonur, which marked the beginning of Kazakhstan's program of independent space projects. Kazakhstan has put $65 million in the project to make its own satellite.

Kazakhstan announced plans to have five satellites on the orbit by 2021. Kazakhstan's second telecommunications satellite KazSat-2 could be launched in 2009, KazSat-3 - in 2013, KazSat-4 - in 2016 and KazSat-5 in 2020.

- In 2006 Kazakhstan held tenders for designing two Land Remote Sensing Satellites (Landsats), however, the bidding results were cancelled afterwards. Does it mean that Kazcosmos abandoned these plans altogether?

- On the contrary, Kazakhstan is totally interested in putting this project into practice as soon as possible. Today, Kazcosmos is taking prompt actions to speed up a program of Landsat system. A tender will be held soon to create two optical electronic satellites of high and medium resolution. The winning bidder can be known by May this year.

We may say that international leading companies will be involved in the creation of the satellites; however, a Russian company that has a relevant experience in this area is likely to act as an integrator. Landsat specifications and feasibility studies are ready. Russian experts led by space system veteran Doctor of Engineering Oleg Grafodatskiy have prepared sophisticated specifications.

If everything goes as planned, Landsat might be launched in 2011. From that time on we would be able to receive precise shots with almost one-meter resolution for state management of agriculture, energy and mineral resources, emergency situations and others.

Aerospace Committee of the Ministry of Education and Science did invited bids for two Landsats in 2006. The Russian Research Institute of Space Instrumentation (RNIIKP) was chosen as a preferred bidder. However, its engineering solutions failed to meet Kazakhstan's demands. Therefore, the specifications had to be revised. Moreover, the negotiations between RNIIKP and Kazakhstan Garysh Sapary (a subordinate company of Kazcosmos) dragged out, and in compliance with the laws the tender and its results were nullified.

- Russian specialists and journalists are inclined to see the annual procedure of coordinating plans for Russian launches from Baikonur as a "tool" used by the republic to promote its own interests in space. That was exactly how many interpreted Kazakhstan's decision to approve Proton launches for the first half of the year only. Many believed that this step was made in order to make Roskosmos curtail Proton launches. How close are those statements to the truth?

- The principal position of both the government and the parliament on this issue has not changed: we favor a gradual reduction in the number of launches. We understand that Proton is Russia's most productive launch vehicle, and it is perhaps the best in the world in its class. Unfortunately, it operates on a highly toxic propellant. Its use at Baikonur makes the issue of environment protection increasingly more acute and raises concerns with the public and the parliament. Therefore, the use of Protons at our space center is becoming more and more problematic, of which Russian side is fully aware.

The Kazakh government agreed to endorse a plan for Proton rocket launches from the Russian Baikonur space center located in Kazakhstan in the second half of 2008, once the Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos) offers proposals on gradual reduction of the launches of rockets using unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) as a propellant.

Russia and Kazakhstan signed an intergovernmental agreement in 2004, one of the provisions of which implies a gradual reduction in the number of launches of rockets using the highly-toxic propellant from Baikonur. However, Roscosmos has made no steps in this direction so far. Therefore, the government had to agree to the plan of Proton launches only for the first half of 2008. The authorization of launches in the second half of the year will depend on Russia's position on this issue.

- As far as we know, Roscosmos pledged to hand over its proposal on stage-by-stage restriction on lunching rocket boosters of all types from Baikonur running on heptyl: Protons, Tsiklons and ocean-spanning ballistic missiles ÐÑ-18 and ÐÑ-20…

- We have yet to receive proposals pledged by Roscosmos on the gradual reduction in launches of vehicles using UDMH from Baikonur. Kazakhstan expects at least some reduction in the number of launches.

- In 2005 Russia offered Kazakhstan to take part in equipping a multi-target lab module, FGB-2, for the International Space Station (ISS.) The launch of the module was slated for 2007. However, no definite steps have followed on part of Kazakhstan. Why?

- Kazakhstan sees no good reason to continue its participation in the Russian project of multi-target lab module, FGB-2. A couple of years ago, we believed that we could have become part of the project, if we contributed to financing and design of equipment. However, we understood that it was unlikely for us to get a direct access to our equipment. Kazakhstani astronauts would not be able to take advantage of this equipment due to a vague prospect of their flights to ISS.

It's unreal to expect any return after injecting funds into the Russian module. Moreover, regarding our plans to design our own scientific satellite, we could find a better use for our equipment and have a direct access to its data.

- What are the other possible space projects where Russian and Kazakh interest could intertwine?

- One of them is the International Space Observatory. The project entails design of a space apparatus that will be launched to a distance of 1.5 ml km to operate in the ultraviolet diapason. 16 countries are participating in the project including Russia.

Kazakhstan may contribute not just funds to the project, but researchers as well.

Such project won't give the republic an immediate profit, however, the data from the observatory would give an impetus to our science and domestic space studies.

We reckon the republic could sign the agreement on entering the project in 2009.

- Last year immediately after Kazcosmos was founded, it embarked on an extensive inventory campaign of the Baikonur assets. Why did the problem that has not been tackled by anyone before, became one of the priorities for the newly formed agency?

- Baikonur is a property of Kazakhstan, a unique infrastructure facility leased by Russia until 2050. The spaceport has almost 3,000 buildings and structures and over 20,000 infrastructure systems and devices. The irony is that none of these facilities has been reported in our balance sheet and nobody knows their approximate value.

We found such state of affairs unacceptable and set the target to assess the value of all assets Kazakhstan owns at Baikonur. With this in view, a complete inventory of the spaceport was taken last year, though with some difficulty. Data is being processed right now; therefore we cannot give the exact value of the key facilities of Baikonur. Inventory results would be summed up and reviewed this year.

- What steps could follow?

- National Space Agency of Kazakhstan (Kazcosmos) will address the government with an offer to transfer Baikonur facilities to a Kazcosmos subordinate company once their stock-taking and appraising is over.

I want to emphasize that we mean here the facilities in operations. Baikonur, however, have a number of abandoned sites. Russia (represented by Roscosmos and Russian Defense Ministry) being a renter of the spaceport can pick out Baikonur facilities it needs to operate at its own discretion. State-owned company Infracos, a part of Kazcosmos, is now dealing with the inventory and possible use of those abandoned facilities, which are about 600 at Baikonur. Infracos is aimed to find and gain at least some profit from them for the budget.

- Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Karim Masimov announced a full support to a fledgling Kazcosmos. What does the pledged support entail other than financing of the ongoing space programs?

- We hope for a significant increase in the personnel, the president has already signed the respective decree. Until now we have to deal with extremely tough conditions of scanty office areas and a shortage of personnel. Those factors are impeding the targets we set for ourselves.

- The committee on control over budget spending has recently reported a huge misuse of budget funds allocated for the state space program of 2005-2007. The probe partially proved the failure of Kazakh Space Program…

- I find it inappropriate to comment on the performance of the Ministry of Education and Science, [a coordinator of the Kazakh Space Program for 2005-2007]. However, the facts speak for themselves: the space program was disrupted by a bunch of failures and omissions, which inflicted big losses on the state budget. That was mostly due to "disorientation" that was typical of the sector at that time: it was unclear who was in charge of what. The efficient management and coordination of our efforts is one of the key targets of the National Space Agency established in March last year. We would make our best to reduce a disastrous effect of previous space program management to the minimum and meet all the set targets.

- Thank you for the interview!

February, 2008
© 2008 Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency
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