Kazakhstan Developing $6 Billion Space Program

Posted on: Thursday, 24 July 2008, 21:00 CDT ALMATY. July 24 (Interfax-AVN) - Kazakhstan will spend no less than $6 billion on its second space program for the period until 2020, Assistant Chairman of the National Space Agency and Baiterek Joint Venture Director General Ivan Akhmatov told the first international conference entitled "Space Activities in the Republic of Kazakhstan for the Period until 2020" in Almaty on Thursday. "We may spend over $6 billion on the program. Seventy percent of funds will come from the state budget, and the rest will be invested," he said. "About $1 billion will be assigned for the current space program in 2009-2011, and approximately $350 million will be assigned yearly in 2012-2020," he said. A working group formed to order of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has drafted a national space... [read full story]