Kazakhstan is extending Russia's lease of the Baikonur Cosmodrome for another 10 years, to 2024, as the country builds up its space programme. Around 25 missions are planned for next year alone.
Russia's original 20-year lease agreement began in 1994 for an annual rent of $115 million. But the country only started paying to use the cosmodrome in 1999 in the form of an annual payment of $50 million cash and $65 million in goods and services.
Russia plans to launch 25 boosters from Baikonur next year on national and commercial satellite delivery missions. Two Progress tankers may also be flown as part of the Mir de-orbiting programme.
The Proton and Soyuz will make 11 launches each, with the Soyuz scheduled for eight missions to the International Space Station (ISS). In addition, there will be two Dnepr and one Zenit launches. National satellites to be launched include Express A, Ekran M and Meteor 3M. Commercial satellites being launched by the Proton as part of the International Launch Services (ILS) programme include PanAmSat 10, Astra 1K, Intelsat 902 and Asiasat 4.
Yuri Koptev, director general of the Russian Space and Aviation Agency, says that Russia could earn up to $2 billion a year from international space co-operation programmes. It earned $40 million from such programmes in 1993, $880 million in 1998 and $620 million last year. Income for 2000 is expected to reach $800 million.
Russia says it will honour all its international obligations and will have to raise 35% of the required budget in 2001 through commercial ventures. Central to the co-operation is the ISS to which Russia plans to launch two manned Soyuz craft and eight Progress cargo tankers in 2001.
Russia has space ties with 35 countries and is set to imminently sign a co-operative agreement with Australia.
In the latest phase of Russia's co-operative space programme, the European Space Agency-Russian Integral astrophysical observatory satellite is proceeding and will be launched aboard a Proton booster in 2002.
Source: Flight International
