The first three launches within the "Baiterek" project at the Baikonur Cosmodrome will be conducted without a payload. According to Doszhan Musaliyev, Vice Minister of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan, these test launches are necessary to refine the technologies before the commercial operation of the complex begins.
The test launch will be <...>, most likely, without a payload. It is expected that three test launches are planned, as I said earlier, in 2025, 2026, and 2027. As it should be, before starting [regular launches], tests must be carried out. Starting in 2028, there will be official launches, and four launches are planned annually, three of which have already been guaranteed by the Russian side.
The "Baiterek" project has been implemented jointly by Russia and Kazakhstan since 2004. It involves the creation of a new rocket complex for launching the Russian Soyuz-5 carrier rocket. The first test launch is scheduled for December 2025. From 2028, it is planned to conduct up to four launches annually, three of which are already reserved by the Russian side.
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