Editing Baikonur Cosmodrome (section)

==Future projects==
[[File:Изделие 1.02 фото 4.jpg|thumb|OK-MT (foreground) and [[Ptichka|OK-1.02]] (background) in storage at Baikonur Cosmodrome in 2020.]]
On 22 December 2004, Kazakhstan and Russia signed a contract establishing the "Russia–Kazakhstan Baiterek JV" joint venture, in which each country holds a 50% stake. The goal of the project was the construction of the [[Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 250|Bayterek]] ("[[Populus|poplar]] tree") space launch complex, to facilitate operations of the Russian [[Angara (rocket)|Angara]] rocket launcher.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.khrunichev.ru/khrunichev_eng/live/full_proect.asp?id=13499|title='Baiterek' Space Launch Complex|publisher=[[Khrunichev]] State Research and Production Space Center|access-date=10 May 2006 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060630022023/http://www.khrunichev.ru/khrunichev_eng/live/full_proect.asp?id=13499<!-- Bot retrieved archive -->|archive-date=30 June 2006}}</ref> This was anticipated to allow launches with a payload of 26 tons to [[low Earth orbit]], compared to 20 tons using the [[Proton (rocket)|Proton]] system. An additional benefit would be that the Angara uses kerosene as fuel and oxygen as the oxidiser, which is less hazardous to the environment than the toxic fuels used by older boosters. The total expenditure on the Kazakh side was expected to be US$223&nbsp;million over 19 years.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kazakh President Signs Law Re Baiterek Rocket Center|url=http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Kazakh_President_Signs_Law_Re_Baiterek_Rocket_Center.html|website=www.spacedaily.com|access-date=5 August 2015|date=24 October 2005|archive-date=13 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150913042620/http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Kazakh_President_Signs_Law_Re_Baiterek_Rocket_Center.html|url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2010, the project was stalling due to insufficient funding, but it was thought that the project still had good chances to succeed because it would allow both parties – Russia and Kazakhstan – to continue the joint use of Baikonur even after the construction of  [[Vostochny Cosmodrome]].<ref name="observer">{{cite journal|last=Vorontsov|first=Dmitri|author2=Igor Afanasyev|date=10 November 2009|journal=Russia CIS Observer|title=Angara getting ready for launch|volume=3|issue=26|url=http://www.ato.ru/content/angara-getting-ready-launch|access-date=3 January 2010
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100101014026/http://www.ato.ru/content/angara-getting-ready-launch|archive-date=1 January 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2017, the first launch of the Baiterek Rocket and Space Complex was expected to occur in 2025.<ref name="BRSC25">{{cite news|title=Baiterek Rocket and Space Complex set to launch in 2025|url=http://astanatimes.com/2017/03/baiterek-rocket-and-space-complex-set-to-launch-in-2025/|publisher=The Astana Times|access-date=26 March 2017|archive-date=27 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327080824/http://astanatimes.com/2017/03/baiterek-rocket-and-space-complex-set-to-launch-in-2025/|url-status=live}}</ref>{{update inline|date=September 2024}}