After a 25 million euros debt dispute, Kazakhstan authorities moved forward to seize property and assets that were administered by the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, in Baikonur cosmodrome.
Interfax news agency reported that the Court of the Astana International Financial Center (AIFC) ruled to recover over 2 billion rubles -around 26 million dollars– from the Center for the Operation of Ground-Based Space Infrastructure Objects (TsENKI) in favor of the joint Kazakh-Russian enterprise Baiterek.
Bagdat Musin, Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan, said that as a result of “certain lawsuits in the AIFC (Astana International Financial Center) Arbitration Court, as a result of which the AIFC made a certain decision.”
TsENKI, the main operator of Russian cosmodromes and the main firm in the Roscosmos corporate structure, was also banned from repatriating or selling any tangible assets located in Kazakhstan.
Musin confirmed that, despite the court ruling, there are negotiations underway to settle the dispute: “I say again, the court decision has been made, but further processes will continue. Now, as far as I know, TsENKI’s management is in Kazakhstan and they are negotiating [with Baiterek],” he added.
According to Kazakh media, the amount of the failed payment was calculated by the Astana authorities following assessments relating to the environmental impact of the Soyuz-5 mission.
The Soyuz-5 project, aimed at developing a new medium-lift rocket capable of carrying up to 17 metric tons into low Earth orbit, has been facing significant delays due to design problems, technical issues, and a lack of funding. The original deadline of 2022 has been pushed back to 2024, and concerns have been raised that further delays may be possible.
The recent conflict in Ukraine has added to the Soyuz-5 project’s challenges, as the refurbishment of the launch pad has been postponed. If the legal dispute is not settled, the fate of Baikonur cosmodrome is looking grim.
