Kazakhstan on Thursday denied reports that Russia prepares to desert its lease on the Baikonur Cosmodrome before it expires in 2050, in the middle of speculation that Moscow might be preparing to ditch the historical launch site.Local media in Kazakhstan have actually reported that Russia might leave the lease between 2026 and 2028 as it pulls back from global area cooperation, including a prepared withdrawal from the International Space Station (ISS) as early as 2028.
The concern of early termination of the lease, or transfer of the city of Baikonur to the complete control of the Kazakh side, is not being thought about at this time, Kazakhstans Aerospace Committee informed AFP.Russia pays Kazakhstan $115 million every year to rent Baikonur, which it has actually utilized since the Soviet era to release astronauts to the ISS, one of the last staying locations of partnership in between Russia and the West.The Soviet-built center, situated in southern Kazakhstan, played a central function in Cold War space milestones, consisting of the launches of Yuri Gagarin, the first human in area, in 1961, and Valentina Tereshkova, the very first lady in space, in 1963.
Moscow has not openly talked about any strategies to withdraw, however has ramped up development of alternative domestic launch sites, including the more recent Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Far East.A modernization effort launched in 2004 to upgrade Baikonur has faced delays due to persistent underfunding and geopolitical uncertainty following Russias 2014 annexation of Crimea and its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.