From three days ago, the only news source Google seemed to find:
Kazakhstan Seizes Russian Assets At Baikonur Spaceport
Russia, it seems, isn’t paying its bills, so Kazakhstan sent in the repo men. Apparently. The bulk of the story is behind a paywall.
8 responses to “This seems like it aught to be bigger news”
Putin-the Russian Proxmire.
so we’ll be able to buy the Buran dirt cheap and display it at the smithsonian next to the space shuttle?
we’ll take care of it way better than the current owners do…
Things will get “interesting” if/when Russia doesn’t have access to the launch infrastructure …
They built Vostochny just to get out of Baikonur. They feel fleeced by Kazakhstan, so maybe this is part of that ongoing dispute.
Likewise, they also have Plesetsk (for high latitude launches) as well as operational pads at Kapustin Yar and Yasny. There was an attempt to build a new center at Svobodny which was supposed to replace Baikonur for manned launches but failed due to financial issues.
The is also a floating launch platform called Morskoy Start which was used by the defunct Sea-Launch corporation but now supposedly under refit.
The big issue is Baikonur is the only one set up to handle manned launches. Vostochny is building new facilities for the new Orel capsule, but for the trusty ole Soyuz it’s Baikonur or stay home.
The other major Russian launcher is Proton, which I believe is a Baikonur exclusive.
Proton is being replaced by Angara, which can go from Vostochny or Plesetsk. I don’t know how many Protons there are still in the que, but I recall they stopped taking orders for them a few years ago.
There is an R-7 (and derivatives) pad at Kouru, but the russki’s took their ball and went home last year.
This R-7 comes from a little old lady from Irkusk…