KazCosmos
Encyclopedia
The National Space Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan , also known as KazCosmos, or KazKosmos, is Kazakhstan
's national space agency, and was officially established on March 27, 2007. The previous year, on June 18, 2006, the communications satellite
KazSat 1
was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome
, marking the beginning of Kazakhstan's independent space program. In 2008 communications with the satellite ended, and it was declared lost. The next planned satellite, KazSat 2, has experienced a series of delays, and as of December 2010 is planned to launch in March 2011.
The head of the agency, Talgat Musabayev
, is a veteran of three spaceflights, including two long-duration stays aboard the Russia
n space station
Mir
. Musabayev says that the Baikonur cosmodrome, which is in Kazakhstan, is the main component of the cooperation between the Russian and Kazakh space programs. The Russians still heavily use Baikonur for launches.
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
's national space agency, and was officially established on March 27, 2007. The previous year, on June 18, 2006, the communications satellite
Communications satellite
A communications satellite is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purpose of telecommunications...
KazSat 1
KazSat
KazSat 1 , the first Kazakh space satellite, was launched on June 18, 2006 by Proton-K rocket . It contains 12 Ku-band transponders . It is a communications satellite occupying geosynchronous orbit approximately 36 000 km above the Earth...
was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome
Baikonur Cosmodrome
The Baikonur Cosmodrome , also called Tyuratam, is the world's first and largest operational space launch facility. It is located in the desert steppe of Kazakhstan, about east of the Aral Sea, north of the Syr Darya river, near Tyuratam railway station, at 90 meters above sea level...
, marking the beginning of Kazakhstan's independent space program. In 2008 communications with the satellite ended, and it was declared lost. The next planned satellite, KazSat 2, has experienced a series of delays, and as of December 2010 is planned to launch in March 2011.
The head of the agency, Talgat Musabayev
Talgat Musabayev
Talgat Amangeldyuly Musabayev , is a Kazakh test pilot and former cosmonaut who flew on three spaceflights. His first two spaceflights were long-duration stays aboard the Russian space station Mir. His third spaceflight was a short duration visiting mission to the International Space Station, which...
, is a veteran of three spaceflights, including two long-duration stays aboard the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n space station
Space station
A space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting a crew which is designed to remain in space for an extended period of time, and to which other spacecraft can dock. A space station is distinguished from other spacecraft used for human spaceflight by its lack of major propulsion or landing...
Mir
Mir
Mir was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, at first by the Soviet Union and then by Russia. Assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996, Mir was the first modular space station and had a greater mass than that of any previous spacecraft, holding the record for the...
. Musabayev says that the Baikonur cosmodrome, which is in Kazakhstan, is the main component of the cooperation between the Russian and Kazakh space programs. The Russians still heavily use Baikonur for launches.