Construction of Baiterek launch site at Baikonur to begin this year - Roscosmos head

MOSCOW. April 6 (Interfax) - The construction of the Baiterek Russian-Kazakh launch site for the prospective Soyuz-5 rocket will begin in 2022, Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin told reporters on Tuesday.

"In 2022, it is planned to draw up design estimates for renovation of the site infrastructure; working design documentation is being drawn up, and pre-contract work with manufacturers of units and systems has begun. Also this year we are planning to begin construction works, and Kazakhstan's LLC Bazis serves as the contractor," Rogozin said.

"Alongside the drawing up of draft design and working design documentation, Roscosmos enterprises are manufacturing prototypes of the Soyuz-5 rocket consistent with the Fenix R&D project," he said.

Russia and Kazakhstan are discussing "Kazakh experiments to be carried out on board the International Space Station, as well as interaction in the fields of remote sensing and telecom satellites, and the promotion of the tourism potential of the Baikonur Cosmodrome," Rogozin said.

Baiterek is an unfinished Russian-Kazakh launch site at the Baikonur Cosmodrome from where Soyuz-5 missions will be accomplished.