Israel ratifies space agreement with Kazakhstan

Israel government ratified the agreement on cooperation with Kazakhstan in research and use of space for peaceful purpose, KazTAG reports citing IzRus. “On January 27 Israel government ratified the agreement on cooperation with Kazakhstan in research and use of space for peaceful purpose. This agreement was signed by the parties in July 2009 during the visit of president Shimon Peres to Astana,” the message states. According to Prime-Minister’s advisor Alex Selsky, the ratification was unanimously approved by the ministers. “Heads of 14 space agencies will arrive in Israel in several days, including Kazakhstan national space agency. The conference on cooperation will be timed to a mournful date: 10th anniversary of the death of the first Israel astronaut Ilan Ramon." Space shuttle Columbia killed seven astronauts including the first Israel astronaut Ilan Ramon in February 2003. "Cooperation with Kazakhstan is this sector is important to Israel. Even though we have had the capacities for taking satellites to the orbit for a long time, Kazakhstan has got Baikonur, one of the world’s biggest cosmodromes,” the speaker stressed.