This was a wise decision, said the Doctor of Technical Sciences
ASTANA, December 10. /tass/. The agreement signed 30 years ago between the governments of Russia and Kazakhstan on the lease of the Baikonur complex was a wise decision that allowed us to preserve the unique site for space launches and the space industry of the two countries, it was a victory for technical specialists. This opinion was expressed by TASS ex-head of the Baikonur Cosmodrome department, former director of the Aerospace Agency of Kazakhstan, adviser to the Chairman of the Aerospace Committee of the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry of the Republic, academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan, Doctor of Technical Sciences Meyrbek Moldabekov.
"It was a very rational agreement that allowed us to preserve the Baikonur cosmodrome. In those conditions of the political and economic crisis, there could be no question of preserving Baikonur at all. We would have lost him. What would that lead to? On the one hand, Kazakhstan would be left without property, Russian space enterprises would lose their jobs at those enterprises that provided scientific and technical support for work at Baikonur, and these are, in fact, all enterprises of the Russian space industry," he said.
Moldabekov noted that he participated in the preparation of this agreement and then there were "people of a political turn" on both sides who opposed such a document. "There was no doubt between the specialists - we studied at the same universities, received the same knowledge - that this agreement should be concluded," he said.
According to him, the complex included not only the Baikonur cosmodrome itself, but also a city with residents. "And here there was a big argument, but, as I said, wisdom prevailed. And it was possible to preserve Baikonur in the interests of both Kazakhstan and Russia. <...> I will say bluntly that the position of techies, not politicians, prevailed, and this created a favorable condition for finding a compromise," the agency interlocutor added.
Moldabekov also noted that currently Baikonur has competitor cosmodromes in the world, but it remains a truly unique space launch site. Baikonur is the common heritage not only of all the Soviet people who created it, but also of virtually all cosmonautics in the world. Therefore, many people consider it promising to implement commercial launches of their rockets at the Baikonur cosmodrome, there are interested parties," he said, noting that in the future, the cosmodrome could become a commercial international spaceport with infrastructure upgrades.
Baikonur lease agreement
Baikonur is the world's first cosmodrome, which was founded in 1955 on the territory of the Kazakh SSR, and the first launch was carried out in 1957. The first artificial satellite of the Earth was launched from this cosmodrome, as well as the first human flight into space.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Baikonur complex, which includes the cosmodrome and the city of the same name, was leased to Russia for 20 years under an agreement signed on March 28, 1994. The lease agreement was signed 30 years ago - on December 10, 1994. The document described exactly which facilities were leased to Russia and on what terms they would be serviced by the parties to the agreement. In 2004, the lease was extended until 2050. The annual rent is $115 million.
A special mode of operation of the city was established by an international agreement between the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan in 1995. According to it, the city is a territorial unit of Kazakhstan, and in Russia it is given the status corresponding to a city of federal significance.
