Kazakhstan Prime Minister Danial Akhmetov said the country, which plans to launch its first satellite, Kazsat, before the end of 2005, expects to launch its second satellite within two years.

In a Nov. 30 release, Akhmetov said the manufacturer of the second satellite has not been named, but suggested the contract could go to Energia Rocket and Space Corp. “Everything will depend on the competitive abilities of Energia, [of] which we have no doubts. We wish to diversify our suppliers of space products.”

Kazsat built by the Krunichev Space Centre, will be launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.