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Space

Kazakhstan Navigates a Fragmented Global Space Race

The United States, China, Russia, and Europe are pursuing different models of space strategy, ranging from institutional leadership to technological autonomy. At the same time, the number of middle powers that view space as a tool for economic development and the strengthening of sovereignty is growing. In this context, a multi-level system is emerging in which the architecture of near-Earth space is becoming an element of the global balance of power. For Kazakhstan, these changes are of direct importance. The country possesses a unique infrastructure asset, the Baikonur Cosmodrome, and is gradually developing its own satellite and manufacturing capabilities. However, amid the fragmentation of the global space order, the question of strategic choice is becoming increasingly pressing. Will Kazakhstan remain primarily an infrastructure hub, or will it build a sustainable national model for participation in the evolving space architecture? Models of Space Strategies The United States remains the world’s leading space power in terms of funding and launch frequency. Total government space spending, including allocations for NASA, the U.S. Space Force, and intelligence programmes, reached a record $79.7 billion in 2024 out of approximately $135 billion in global government space spending. A defining feature of the U.S. model is the close integration between government institutions and the private sector. Companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin have become integral to national strategy, helping to reduce launch costs and accelerate innovation. A central component of the current phase is the Artemis lunar programme. The Artemis II mission is planned to conduct a crewed flyby of the Moon, while Artemis III is intended to return humans to the lunar surface using a landing system being developed by SpaceX. China’s space strategy is built on the concept of long-term technological sovereignty and the phased expansion of its presence in space. Deployment began in 2021, and the three-module Tiangong space station was completed in 2022. Chinese astronauts now conduct scientific experiments and test technologies for long-duration missions in low Earth orbit. In lunar exploration, China is implementing a step-by-step research programme that includes returning soil samples and advancing plans for an international lunar research station. The Tianwen-1 Mars mission, which included the landing of the Zhurong rover, demonstrated the country’s capacity to carry out complex interplanetary operations independently. Amid sanctions pressure and reduced international cooperation, Russia’s space strategy is focused on ensuring independent access to space, maintaining orbital infrastructure, and preserving key capabilities in human spaceflight. Despite ongoing uncertainty over its long-term involvement, Russia continues to participate in the International Space Station programme, conducting regular crewed launches and sending Progress cargo spacecraft. At the same time, work is underway on the planned Russian Orbital Station (ROS), with initial deployment planned for the late 2020s. The project is viewed as an important step in preparing for future missions, including potential lunar initiatives. Europe’s space strategy emphasises strategic autonomy alongside broad international cooperation. In addition to traditional Ariane and Vega launch vehicles, European countries are investing in commercial startups such as Isar Aerospace and Orbex, which...

Space Exploration

Women in Space: Kazakhstan Completes First All-Female SANA-1 Experiment

Kazakhstan has successfully completed its first space research experiment involving an all-female crew. Conducted over ten days in a specialized ground-based module simulating a spacecraft, the SANA-1 project marks a milestone in the country’s space program and underscores the expanding role of women in science and technology. Kazakhstan’s First Female Crew In Astana, the results of the SANA-1 scientific experiment, which focused on studying psychophysiological responses to isolation, were officially presented. It is the first time in Kazakhstan’s space research history that a mission was carried out exclusively by female engineers and scientists. According to the project’s scientific director, Alina Gutoreva, the aim was to study “the cognitive, physiological, and emotional adaptation of humans in a confined space.” “The crew underwent medical, physiological, and psychological assessments, conducted cognitive and behavioral studies, and tested the capsule’s engineering systems,” Gutoreva explained. The experiment was timed to coincide with World Space Week (October 4-10), the 2025 theme of which was “Living in Space.” What the Researchers Studied The SANA-1 team examined the psychological and physiological effects of isolation, monotony, and stress on human behavior and team dynamics. The data collected is expected to inform the development of stress-resilience training and psychophysiological monitoring systems for future cosmonauts. The results will feed into Kazakhstan’s national cosmonaut training program and will be presented at global platforms, including Space Days Kazakhstan and meetings of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS). Researchers emphasized that female leadership, emotional intelligence, and empathy were critical factors in the crew’s resilience and performance. These findings are expected to contribute to future criteria for selecting and training participants in long-duration space missions, including to the Moon and Mars. The closing ceremony of the experiment took place on October 10, exactly 34 years after Tokhtar Aubakirov, Kazakhstan’s first cosmonaut, completed his spaceflight. Speaking at the event, Air Force Major General Aubakirov stressed the psychological demands of space missions. “The most important thing in space is belief in your own strength and responsibility to the team. Without this, it is impossible to complete any mission,” Aubakirov said. Earlier this month, Danna Karagousova became the first Kazakh woman to travel to space, participating in a suborbital flight aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft. The rocket launched from a site in Texas, reaching an altitude of approximately 100 kilometers, the Kármán line, widely recognized as the boundary of space. The flight lasted around 10-12 minutes.

Space Exploration

First Kazakh Woman Heads to Space with Blue Origin

Kazakh entrepreneur Danna Karagussova is set to make history as the first woman from Kazakhstan to travel into space. She will join Blue Origin’s upcoming New Shepard NS-36 mission, marking both a personal milestone and a significant event for her country. Suborbital Flight on New Shepard Karagussova will be one of six passengers aboard the suborbital spacecraft, alongside United States entrepreneur Jeff Elgin, engineer Clint Kelly III, startup founder Aaron Newman, Ukrainian businessman Vitalii Ostrovsky, and one participant who has chosen to remain anonymous. For Kelly, this will be his second spaceflight after his participation in the NS-22 mission. Blue Origin has confirmed that the upcoming launch will be its 15th crewed mission. To date, the company’s spacecraft have carried 75 people beyond the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space. The launch date has not yet been disclosed, but the event will be livestreamed on BlueOrigin.com, X, and YouTube, beginning 30 minutes before liftoff. Who Is Danna Karagussova? Karagussova brings more than 25 years of experience in media, distribution, and event management. She is the co-founder of Portals, a project that combines digital self-regulation tools with science and art. Outside of business, she has climbed both Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Elbrus, reflecting her resilience and determination. Now, she is turning her focus to space, which she describes not as entertainment but as a profound and transformative journey. Writing on Instagram, she said: “The future of humanity is tied to space. By exploring new horizons, we not only develop technologies but also expand our own potential. For me, the NS-36 mission is part of a research project and a step toward a dream I have pursued for many years.” Kazakhstan’s Other Space Initiatives Karagussova’s mission comes as Kazakhstan expands its space research efforts. In Astana, a unique isolation experiment known as SANA-1 recently began, the country’s first such initiative featuring an all-female crew. Over ten days, participants live inside a spacecraft-simulation module, undergoing medical, cognitive, and engineering assessments. The project, launched by the Eurasian Ventures Group and supported by Kazakh cosmonaut Aidyn Aimbetov, aims to inspire young people and build interest in STEM fields. It also contributes to the knowledge base for Kazakhstan’s future space programs and highlights the growing role of women in science.

Baikonur

Mice in “Miniature Hotel” Poised for Space Launch from Baikonur

A crew of mice, flies, and ants, to be used for biomedical research in space, are on board a spacecraft that Russia is preparing to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. On other missions, the rocket typically rolls to the launch pad a few days before launch. On this one, however, a Soyuz rocket that will hoist the Bion-M No. 2 biosatellite into orbit rolled out on Tuesday, one day ahead of the scheduled lift-off. “This is due to the preservation of the biological samples on board,” said Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency. “The goal is to reach weightlessness as quickly as possible.” The purpose of sending mice to space is to evaluate the impact of radiation and zero gravity on the rodents, including whether time in space affects their hormonal balance, immunity, reproductive processes, and metabolism. Russia has conducted similar missions in the past, including the Bion-M No.1 satellite launch in 2013 that ferried mice, gerbils, snails, and fish to space. The Bion-M No. 2 mission has been delayed multiple times in recent years. Such experiments could help prepare humans for long-term space travel. Mice have a genetic similarity to humans, and their short life cycle allows for the tracking of changes across generations, according to Roscosmos. During the 30-day mission of the Bion-M No. 2, “scientists will receive real-time data on the rodents' condition using special cameras and sensors inside the mouse boxes. Moreover, some individuals will have implanted chips,” the space agency said. It said the living conditions of the dozens of mice on the satellite resemble a “miniature hotel” in which they have feeding, lighting, ventilation, and waste disposal systems. The accommodation is more spacious than it was for the mice on the Bion-M No. 1 satellite more than a decade ago. Fruit flies, ants, tomato seeds and fungi are also on this week’s space-bound mission. The tomato seeds, part of an experiment being conducted by Russian and Belarusian schoolchildren, will be planted on Earth after the space mission to see how they grow.

Baikonur

Baikonur Cosmodrome Gears Up for 70th Anniversary; Trespassers Detained

Two European tourists have been detained while trying to take photographs at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Russian media reported on Thursday, as officials prepare to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Russia-operated spaceflight center on June 2. “The men were trying to sneak to the Buran rocket and take photos," an unidentified law enforcement official told Russia’s state news agency TASS, which reported on Thursday that the men, who were from Czechia, also known as the Czech Republic, were released after being fined 5,000 rubles, or $60. The trespassers were the latest in a long list of space enthusiasts and adventure-seekers who have tried to get close to a Soviet-era facility that pioneered early space exploration and remains a vital if aging part of Russia’s space program. The disused Buran spacecraft, a space shuttle that was developed in the 1970s and 1980s by the Soviet Union, is an object of particular fascination. The Buran flew once in 1988, but the program was abandoned because of high costs and a lack of purpose. Russian and Kazakh media, meanwhile, are reporting on plans for anniversary celebrations at the cosmodrome, which is serviced by a city of the same name in the desert environment in southern Kazakhstan. Some rocket mock-ups will be on display and an open-air museum is being set up, the Kazinform news agency reported. One of the mock-ups is 22 meters high and is a model of the Soviet N1 lunar rocket that failed in its four test launches in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Space journalist Anatoly Zak was not impressed by the planned display, saying on X that he is concerned about reports that Russia is destroying “artifacts and documents” that illuminate the historical record of the Soviet space program. Another piece of Baikonur history occurred on Saturday when a Venus-bound lander probe, which launched from the cosmodrome in 1972 but never got out of Earth’s orbit, made an uncontrolled re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. Russian space agency Roscosmos said the lander fell in the Indian Ocean west of Jakarta, though questions remain about its fate, including whether it burned up during re-entry or somehow remained intact.

Soviet-Era Spacecraft

Mysteries Remain Over Soviet Spacecraft That Reentered Earth’s Atmosphere

The saga of a Venus-bound lander probe that launched from Soviet-run Kazakhstan in 1972 and made an uncontrolled reentry into Earth’s atmosphere on Saturday had triggered wide international interest, partly because there was so much uncertainty about its return. Would the spacecraft make it through the atmosphere intact? Where exactly would it end up? One thing is for sure: the Cosmos 482 spacecraft is down (and no one has to worry anymore about the very remote possibility of an encounter with flying spacecraft debris). But the answers to some of the mysteries about the lander still appear to elude scientists, or at least are the subject of continuing debate. Russian space agency Roscosmos said on Telegram on Saturday that the lander “entered the dense layers of the atmosphere at 9:24 Moscow time, 560 km west of Middle Andaman Island, and fell in the Indian Ocean west of Jakarta.” The Russian statement was extensively reported by media organizations around the world. However, Dr. Marco Langbroek, a scientist based in the Netherlands, said on X that “it is not at all clear how accurate that position is and what it is based on, and whether it better represents the other estimates.” Some other space agencies and institutions had predicted other reentry points, including in the Pacific Ocean. “There is a planet-size discrepancy in some predictions about the Soviet Venus probe's impact point this morning, but everybody seems to agree it is down and it is in the ocean (our condolences to all "hope it is in my backyard" wishes),” space journalist Anatoly Zak wrote on Saturday. For its part, NASA concurred with Roscosmos that the lander probe had plunged into the ocean west of Jakarta, but the U.S. space agency didn’t say how it arrived at the conclusion. “Because the probe was designed to withstand entry into the Venus atmosphere, it is possible it survived reentry,” NASA said. The spacecraft had a titanium protective shell originally designed to get through the extreme atmosphere of Venus, which has the hottest surface of any planet in the solar system. There was also uncertainty at the European Space Agency, which said in its last update on Saturday that the spacecraft hadn’t been spotted over Germany as expected and that it hadn’t received “any reports on visual direct observations of the final re-entry, or on any impacts on the ground.” The Soviet Union launched Cosmos 482 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, then a Soviet republic. The probe never got out of Earth’s orbit and moved closer to Earth’s atmosphere over the decades. Today, Russia operates the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which retains a popular allure for its role in early space exploration and is still a vital part of the Russian space program.