Astrium and Kazakhstan KGS sign Contract for satellite center in Astana

November 2, 2010 at 9:04 am | Posted in Aerospace Law Interfaces | Leave a comment

by Sara M. Langston with the blog faculty

Source: SatNews.com

The partnership between Astrium and JSC NC Kazakhstan Gharysh Sapary (KGS), the national company charged with the development of Kazakhstan’s space program, has reached another major milestone with the signature of a contract for a Satellite Assembly, Integration and Test (AIT) Centre in Astana.

Astrium and KGS signed the agreement, under which Astrium will provide and install the various test equipment (mechanical, radiometric, thermal and acoustic facilities) at the new AIT Centre. Astrium will also assist KGS in the construction of the AIT Centre to ensure coordination with the test equipment. This follows a major contract signed in October 2009 by Astrium and KGS for the development of two Earth observation satellites. The AIT Centre will form part of the ‘Space City’ that the Kazakhstan space agency,Kazcosmos, is developing in Astana. The city will also include the ground segment for the two Astrium-built satellites, as well an administrative building and a museum dedicated to the country’s long space history.