Kazakh space agency makes advances

Kazakhstan's space industry is one of the newest and highest priority areas.

By Colin Stevens

Space – the final frontier, and for those exploring it the main setting-off point in Eurasia is the Baykonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The country's space industry is one of the newest and a highest priority area of a state which is has set itself the target of becoming a technological leader by the end of the next decade.

Today, the most important functions of Kazakhstan's national space agency (Kazkosmos), created in 2007 by a presidential decree, are promoting and further developing this high tech industry and interacting with leading foreign countries and international organisations in the exploration and use of outer space.

Chairman of the National Space Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan is former cosmonaut Talgat Mussabayev, a hero of the Russian Federation and national hero of Kazakhstan.

The total duration of Talgat Mussabayev’s three space flights is 341 days, almost one Earth year

For every cosmonaut, the time between the launch day and the day of returning to the Earth is their space life. Talgat Mussabayev has lived three space lives. The total duration of his three space flights which took place in 1994, 1998 and 2001, is 341 days, almost one Earth year.

He has commanded Soyuz expeditions, the MIR space station and the International Space Station

What were his main feelings that he remembers during his first space flight?

Chairman of the National Space Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan is former cosmonaut Talgat Mussabayev, a hero of the Soviet Union and national Hhero of Kazakhstan

"I had a lot of different feelings and emotions, but all of them were connected with Earth, with my homeland. I think that such feelings are much more pronounced in space. I was astonished at how beautiful the Earth looked from space. In space, the whole of planet Earth feels like your native home. Silence on Earth makes one feel calm, whereas silence in space makes one feel afraid and even terrified. Actually, outer space is never really silent. Leave the silence of stars to poets. Space stations are saturated with the monotonous hissing of air blowers. Only after coming back to Earth can one feel the incomparable joy of being on Earth."

He was astonished how beautiful the Earth looked from space. In its defencelessness and radiant warmth our planet reminded him of a baby. His fear gave way to joy when, after opening the Space Station hatch; he looked down and thought «Oh my God! There's Kazakhstan! »

It was a coincidence that his first spacewalk took place exactly at the time MIR space station was flying over his native land. Actually, in space, the whole of planet Earth feels like your native home, but he considered this coincidence to be a good sign and when he was able to make out the high mountains, the blue lakes and the endless Kazakh steppe on the surface of the blue and living planet, he felt involuntary tears rolling down his cheeks.

Although he never considers himself a particularly lucky man - there have always been some obstacles in the way of achieving his goals and he even describes these as just his fate - he is a lucky man indeed. He always knows what he wants and how to achieve that goal and difficulties just make him stronger. The biggest dream of his life came true: at the age of thirty-three he became not only a pilot, but the aerobatic flying champion of the USSR, and at the age of forty-four he became a cosmonaut. At fifty-five he started putting all the knowledge and experience which he obtained during his career as a cosmonaut into practice in his native country, Kazakhstan.

Today, Talgat Mussabayev is a pilot cosmonaut of two countries - Russia and Kazakhstan. For showing his courage and heroism in three space flight missions he was awarded the honorary titles of Hero of Russia and National Hero of Kazakhstan. He was awarded the rank of Lieutenant-General of Aviation of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the title of Doctor of Engineering of Russia. After finishing his service in the Russian cosmonaut group, Talgat Mussabayev came back to Kazakhstan and the presidents of both countries asked him to become head of the Kazakhstan-Russian joint-stock enterprise, Bayterek, established for setting up a new environmentally safe space rocket complex in Baykonur cosmodrome. Since April 2007, he has been Chairman of the National Space Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan. He believes that Russia is the main strategic partner of Kazakhstan country and has made a magnificent contribution to aviation and space development and mutually beneficial co-operation between Kazakhstan and Russia, as well as in the global field of space development.

“As the first cosmonaut of the independent Kazakhstan, I was proud to become the first Kazakh flag-bearer in space spread out the standard of our country in space.” said Mussabayev. “During my first flight, I took two state flags of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the MIR space station. There was a special container on the ship where the flags of Kazakhstan, a book by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, his portrait, the Constitution of Kazakhstan, a capsule with the soil from Astana and the Koran were kept. All these things went to space with us and returned to the Earth with us. One of the flags was given to the President of our country. The second flag is now in the cosmonaut museum in Star City.

"The idea to take the Koran and the soil from Kazakhstan came to mind in Baykonur, the day before the launch. The General Designer of NPO Energiya, Yuri Pavlovich Semenov, supported the idea and we were allowed to take the extra luggage into space. With the help of the head of administration of Leninsk city, Vitali Brynkin, and his deputy, Yergazy Nurgaliyev, I was able to take these important symbols of the Kazakh people on board our spacecraft.

"Since then I've taken a container with the state flag of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Koran and a capsule with Kazakh soil on all my space flights."

Does the sense of homeland increase in space or decrease? Isn't, after all, the whole Earth one's homeland from space?

"In fact, there is no more touching sight than that of our Earth from space. This blue planet is amazing with its bright light and warmth. The Earth is like a beacon in the universe, like the meaning of life. While in orbit, in fact, you feel more like a representative of the planet Earth, than a citizen of a particular country, because the country borders cannot be seen from space. But, nevertheless, I always remembered that the whole Kazakh nation would be judged by my colleagues on the basis of my professional and human qualities. At that time there was prejudice that the Kazakhs can only graze sheep. In the extremely difficult situations in orbit I carried the full burden of a flight engineer and proved that we can be much more than just shepherds!"

How would the National Hero of Kazakhstan describe his space life?

"I would call it difficult but happy. And the most important is the fact that my space life has continued on Earth: I returned home to Kazakhstan and started working in the space industry for the benefit of my country.

"Kazkosmos has enacted intergovernmental agreements on space co-operation with the governments of Russia, Ukraine, France, Israel and China and signed agreements on the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes with the German, British, Swedish, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Emirati, Saudi and Thai space agencies.

"We are in contact with the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Belarus and the Netherlands' Space Office. Next year, we plan to sign an intergovernmental agreement with Belarus and an interdepartmental agreement with the Netherlands on co-operation in the exploration and use of outer space.

"Who are our key partners? Undoubtedly, the most import priority for us is collaboration with Russia. One of our main areas of co-operation is the use of Baikonur, which is currently under lease. Re-call that in 2004, the presidents of Kazakhstan and Russia signed an agreement on co-operation and the use of the Baikonur Cosmodrome, according to which the lease was extended until 2050. This document also stipulates that Russia will fully promote participation with the Re-public of Kazakhstan on projects related to the creation and use of new environmentally friendly space rocket complexes and other joint projects and programmes."

After that, the signing of the intergovernmental agreement on the creation of the environmentally friendly space rocket complex Baiterek took place.

One of the largest projects currently being implemented with Russia is the creation of the KazSat satellite communications and broadcasting system. On July 16, 2011, the satellite KazSat 2 was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Now, the Russian company Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems is building the KazSat 3 satellite. Its launch is scheduled for April 2014. In addition, two ground control complexes were built in the Akmola and Almaty regions.

Moreover, on 22 May 2008, an intergovernmental agreement in co-operation on the use and development of the Russian global satellite navigation system, GLONASS, was signed. Kazakhstan Gharysh Sapary (state - owned company) is working on the formation of ground infra-structure for Kazakhstan's highly precise satellite navigation system (SNS) through the creation of regional differential satellite navigation systems using GLONASS and American GPS.

At Kazakhstan's suggestion, space co-operation between CIS states is facilitated through annual meetings of high ranking space agency officials.

Thus, at the recent fourth meeting of these officials in Yevpatoria (Ukraine) in July of 2013, participants confirmed their interest in joint space exploration and the priorities established by the CIS Development Concept and Action Plan for the second phase (2012-2015) of the 2020 CIS Economic Development Strategy.

One of the areas of such co-operation is the joint exploitation of SRC Zenith. No less important for Kazakhstan is bilateral space co-operation with Ukraine in such areas as space technology, joint research and the training of RK space programme personnel in Ukrainian universities. Kazakhstan is also interested in participation in the Dnepr programme for the commercial launch of space satellites using the MBR PS-20 commercial system, designed by the Russian-Ukrainian-Kazaldi company MCC Kosmotras. The first Kazakh remote sensing satellite will be launched with this programme.

As for co-operation with nations further abroad, intergovernmental agreements signed with France in October 2009 partnered state-owned Kazakhstan Gharysh Sapary, with French EADS Astrium on two major projects. The first entails the creation of a remote sensing system consisting of an orbital group of high and medium resolution RS satellites, a ground control complex and a ground target centre for receiving and processing satellite data and housing the information transmissions system. The project, alongside the development of high space technologies, is focused on environmental protection and the assurance of national security.

The second project involves the creation of an assembly and testing complex for spacecraft. It is currently under construction in Astana.

In March of 2013, during a visit to London, a Kazkosmos delegation signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.K. Space Agency on co-operation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes that entail the creation of a space system for scientific and technological applications (COP MIN).

The agency also continues to develop bilateral co-operation with China, a country that mastered independent manned spaceflight and is a member of the space superpower club. On September 7, 2013, during an official visit of the Chinese president to Kazakhstan, an intergovernmental agreement on co-operation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes was signed. On September 23, 2013 in Beijing, during the 64th International Astronautic Congress, the Kazkosmos delegation headed by Talgat Mussabayev met with leaders of the National Space Administration and space enterprises of China. The Chinese side expressed strong interest in bilateral co-operation and an agreement was reached on developing collaboration in four areas: manned space flight, the use of RK and Chinese remote sensing satellites, telecommunications satellites and space science development.

Also, the RK National Centre for Space Research and Technology, jointly with the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, is working on global space monitoring of emergencies and natural disasters using remote sensing.

The continuation of international co-operation, Kazakhstan's acquisition of advanced know-how from other countries and the transfer of space technology leads to a more agile and effective national space industry.

Colin Stevens

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