ALMATY. Nov 25 (Interfax-AVN) - Kazakhstan and Russia must put in place a mechanism to authorize launches of Russian rockets from the Baikonur space center, head of Kazakhstan's National Space Agency of Kazakhstan (Kazcosmos) Talgat Musabayev said.
"Both the Russian and Kazakh sides should straighten out the mechanisms of our work," he said at a Wednesday briefing in Almaty where he was commenting on the postponed takeoff of a Proton-M launch vehicle with a European communication satellite from Baikonur.
"It was a typical case which became possible only due to a misunderstanding," he said. "The misunderstanding resulted from one mistaken phrase in a document and the other side was forced to do it hastily and carry out a number of internal state procedures to facilitate the launch," he said. "There was nothing scandalous about it. We should simply be arranging our work better," he added.
Russian ambassador to Kazakhstan Mikhail Bocharnikov, who was at the same briefing, reiterated that the sides should organize their work better.
"Difficulties and misunderstandings occur. The launch was made and made with a delay. Frankly speaking, I don't see any great trouble here. But naturally both sides should be more organized. If any additions or changes are made to the schedule, everything should be thrashed out in advance," he said.
As reported earlier the Proton-M with the Briz-M upper stage and Eutelsat W7 communication satellite took off from Baikonur on Tuesday.
Initially the takeoff was planned for Monday but was postponed for a standby date because Kazakhstan had not given permission in the absence of all due authorizations. The Russian and Kazakh space agencies negotiated a compromise and agreed on the launch.