The Baikonur launch site is the object of dubious pride for Kazakhstan. Every time a Russian rocket is shot into space from Baikonur, Kazakh official media underlines that is blessed by god to have such a unique cosmodrome on its soil. But in reality everything indicates that the launch site belongs to Russia. Even the small town of Baikonur with 50,000 residents has an ambiguous status. Thousands of the inhabitants of the town have dual citizenship. Interior troops and law enforcement bodies in Baikonur are governed by the Russian and Kazakh Interior Ministries. Kazakh residents of Baikonur constantly complain that Russian administration neglect their social rights and living conditions.

Baikonur Cosmodrome was leased to Russia for twenty years under an agreement signed between the leaders of the two countries in 2000. Promises for cash-strapped Kazakhstan were very tempting. Russia took the obligation to pay an annual rent of $115 million to use the launch site. The conclusion of the deal came amid strong protests from Kazakh nationalists who feared that the agreement was part of Russia’s scheme to expand its military presence in the country. They were supported by environmentalists who voiced concern over the growing pollution level in Kyzylorda region and the Aral Sea basin as the result of rocket launches. It is estimated that between 1964 and 1999, more than twenty rockets crashed over Kazakhstan, causing disastrous environmental damages. In July 1999, the Kazakh government had to ban further launches of the Russian Progress cargo rockets from Baikonur Cosmodrome. The decision was precipitated by the explosion of the Proton rocket over central Kazakhstan, which scattered its debris accross a vast area, contaminating pasture lands with deadly rocket fuel. These incidents were followed by a diplomatic row. Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry sent a note of protest to Russia and demanded the payment of outstanding debts of millions of dollars for the use of the launch site. In the course of high-level talks, the conflict was ultimately settled.

However deep Kazakh grievances over Baikonur may be, the government has to put up with Russian disregard for the laws of the country, at least for the next several years in the course of which Kazakhstan will develop its own space program. The attainment of this end would be impossible without Russian space technology and experience. Earlier, Kazakh nationals Tokhtar Aubakirov and Talgat Mussabayev took part in space missions composed of international crews, but they were regarded as Russian cosmonauts. Later they returned to Kazakhstan, but due to their advancing ages it is becoming increasingly problematic for them to participate in further flights. In 1994 it was suggested that Kazakhstan should train its own cosmonauts. Officials of the National Aerospace Agency of Kazakhstan had a series of talks with the Russians, seeking technical and theoretical assistance from Moscow. On November 9, 2002, four candidates were named by the selection committee as physically fit for space flights. They were sent to the space training center near Moscow. Aidyn Aimbetov and Mukhtar Aimakhanov are said to stand good chances to become the first Kazakh cosmonauts to be launched into space.

A part of the “Bayterek” (“Giant Poplar”) space program to be implemented in the years 2005 and 2007 is the planned launch of the first communication satellite of Kazakhstan in late 2005 or early 2006. This $65 million project was developed in cooperation with Russian Khrumichev Scientific and Production center. Kazakh government has announced that the satellite will be used exclusively for peaceful purposes, mainly to monitor the environment of the Caspian basin and crop yields. It is not ruled out, however, that the satellite will survey border areas of Kazakhstan.

It is obvious that this ambitious project, if implemented successfully, would place Kazakhstan as the first space nation in Central Asia and boost its sense of superiority. But the project is not just a matter of political image for the country. Analysts predict that Kazakhstan will reap huge profits from future commercial space flights. The question often asked by critics of he government plan is in what way can the population of the country can benefit from these flights in this corruption-ridden environment. As if to justify their doubt, a new corruption scandal broke out in Baikonur a few days ago. Investigations revealed that $49 million reportedly paid by Russia for renting the cosmodrome have disappeared in an inexplicable way and have, to all probability, landed in the pockets of high placed Kazakh and Russian officials. The scandal caused a great stir in parliament and government. Some members of parliament sent a letter to Russian president Putin asking for assistance in clearing up the unprecedented case. Regrettably, it is a bad omen for Kazakhstan’s endeavor.