Development of space industry in Kazakhstan

Eight years ago Talgat Musabaev became the head of National Space Agency.

Ahead of the Day of Cosmonautics he shares on the progress in this area.

Looking back it must be hard to imagine our country without space projects?

-Kazakhstan is striving to be among thirty world advanced nations, and this breakthrough is unattainable without the development of industries where innovative achievements of science and technology are applied. 

Today we are proud to have created own space industry, which already employs thousands of people. And 8 years ago, there were only 23 people. Our country has four satellites in orbit and the required ground infrastructure.

But there is still a lot of work ahead. At Baikonur Cosmodrome we will be creating space rocket complex Baiterek on the basis of the Angara launch vehicle together with the Russian experts. We are working at design, financing, location of the space object.

That is, work goes on to develop our own space industry. Will you tell more about the latest projects? 

- Two days ago, Majilis approved the draft law "On ratification of the Protocol on Amendments and Additions to the Agreement between the Government of Kazakhstan and the Government of France on the conditions of the creation and use of space remote sensing system and of assembly-test spacecraft complex of October 6, 2009, ". 

In the past year two ERS satellites were launched into orbit, and they will be transferred to the ownership of Kazakhstan as soon as VAT exemption issues are settled. In April last year, KazSat-3 communications satellite was also launched.

In June the year before the backup Kokterek MCC was launched in Almaty, in support to the ground spacecraft control complex in Akkol near Astana.

At present, the spacecraft KazSat-2 is more than 70% loaded and covers our country, the territory of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the central part of Russia.

KazSat-3 operates in normal mode, and the first to use its services are Kazakhstan operators - Astel and 2DayTelecom. 

The development of the space industry is impossible without space science. That is why National Center for Space Research and Technology was established in Almaty, which includes the Institute of Ionosphere, Astrophysical Institute named after V. Fesenkov, Space Research Institute named after U. Sultangazin, Institute of Space Technology.

- What is the economic return of the already implemented projects?

- The remote sensing satellite of high spatial resolution, which we launched, allows to make space shots of every meter of the Earth's surface. 

Kazakhstan, with its vast spaces, low population density, a variety of environmental conditions needs such a satellite badly. Remote sensing data enables to determine meteorological characteristics, monitor agricultural resources, emergencies, water surface conditions, mapping, forecasting drought.

Launched into orbit Kazakhstan’s Earth remote sensing satellites KazEOSat-1 and KazEOSat-2 are not yet in our country’s ownership, as VAT exemption issue is still under solution. It will soon be resolved and this will generate income.

If we talk about the socio-economic aspect, KazSat-3 will meet the needs of Kazakhstan satellite communication and broadcast operators, reduce imports of services by at least 2.3 billion tenge per year and of course, increase tax payments to the state budget.

- April 12 is the International Day of Man’s Space Flight. Your wishes to professionals in space industry? 

- I congratulate them on their professional holiday and want to thank all those who work in subordinate organizations of the Aerospace Committee of the Investment and Development Ministry of Kazakhstan for their dedication.

I hope that Kazakhstan's youth will continue to be interested in space industry - the most high-tech sphere of human activity, which is able to attract young talents. We have a lot of Bolashakers with us.

Source: www.kazpravda.kz