NUR-SULTAN, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Russia and Kazakhstan will begin reconstruction of the Zenit-M launch pad for Soyuz-5 carrier rockets in mid-October at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in southwest Kazakhstan, Russian state space corporation Roscosmos announced on Saturday.

At the videoconference talks between Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin and Kazakh Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry Bagdat Musin, it was announced that all preparation work of the contract will be completed before Oct. 16 between the Center for Operations of Ground Space Infrastructure Facilities of Roscosmos and the Russian-Kazakh joint venture Baiterek.

Roscosmos and Baiterek signed an agreement in the end of July to build the Baiterek launch compound for Soyuz-5 based on the Zenit-M launch facility, signaling that the Baiterek project has entered the implementation phase.

According to earlier media reports, Russia is responsible for creating the Soyuz-5 medium-class carrier rockets, modernizing technical complexes and upgrading spacecraft. The Kazakh side will reconstruct and modernize the ground infrastructure of Zenit-M.

The first launch of Soyuz-5 is scheduled for 2023.

The Baikonur Cosmodrome, located in southwestern Kazakhstan's Kyzylorda region, is jointly managed by Roscosmos and Russia's Aerospace Forces. The spaceport is leased to Russia until 2050. Enditem

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