ASTANA. May 10 (Interfax-AVN) - Kazakhstan plans to build its own probe satellite in two years, Kazakh Prime Minister Danial Akhmetov has announced.
"The company that will work with Kazakhstan to develop a probe satellite is to be announced in June 2006 and the project is expected to be completed in two years," Akhmetov told the lower house of parliament on Wednesday.
Akhmetov said, "$2 billion is needed to conduct 3D seismic surveys in the Kazakh sector of the Caspian Sea". "A satellite will cut the spending significantly," he added.
"Using the space capabilities of Russia or the United States, we'll sign contracts with leading scientists who have the technology we need in the second half of the year, and we'll do the required research in important sectors of the Caspian Sea," he said.