First Soyuz-5 Launch From Baiterek Expected Soon

Kazakhstan expects the first launch of the Soyuz-5 rocket in the near future as part of the Russian-Kazakh Baiterek project, Orda.kz reports, citing RIA Novosti. The launch has been postponed several times.

The launch is planned from the modernized Site No. 45 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which was previously used for Zenit rocket launches.

Baubek Oralmagambetov, head of Kazakhstan’s aerospace committee, also said that after flight tests, Soyuz-5 could be used not only for satellite launches but also for astronaut flights.

The Baiterek space rocket complex, based on the infrastructure of the Zenit-M launch complex, is предусмотрен by an agreement between Kazakhstan and Russia. The Russian side is responsible for manufacturing the new rocket, while the Kazakh side is responsible for the launch complex.

Baiterek is seen as giving the cosmodrome new momentum. For both countries, the project is an opportunity to restore Baikonur’s status as a key gateway to space and lay the groundwork for further modernization of the complex.

The Soyuz-5 launch has already been delayed more than once. It was initially scheduled for 2022, then moved to 2023. Later, the date was pushed back to the end of 2025. But in December last year, the project partners again postponed the first launch for technical reasons.

Original author: Raushan Korzhumbekova

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