KAZAKHSTAN PLANS TO BUILD AND LAUNCH ITS OWN COMMUNICATION SATELLITE

The fourth meeting of the intergovernmental committee for co-operation between Kazakhstan and Russia related to the Baikonur launching site has been recently held in Karagandy along with an international scientific and practical conference focusing on environmental issues of the Baikonur site, Kazakhstan Aerodynamic Committee Chairman Moldabekov informed. The conference participants were especially interested in the joint space exploration program up to the year 2005. Moldabekov gave special attention to the five-year programme for estimation of environmental after-effects of space exploration activities. He informed that Proton-M upgraded rocket carriers, re-designed to produce less impact on the environment, will be launched from Baikonur in 2001. Moldabekov has also announced that Kazakhstan is carrying out a feasibility study of a project for the building and launching of its own communication satellite jointly with Russia and several foreign states.