Kazakhstan joined the ranks of space-exploring nations when it launched its first communications satellite into space. The unmanned KazSat-1 satellite was launched from Baikonur space center, the world's largest space center, just before dawn.

The satellite, which was launched into space by a Russian Proton rocket, will remain in orbit to relay television and other communications signals to Kazakhstan, parts of Russia and three other Central Asian nations.

Russia currently leases the Soviet-era cosmodrome, but oil-rich Kazakhstan is looking to boost its own role in the lucrative space and satellite industry. Though the know-how came from Russia, Kazakhstan is already training its own cosmonauts for future Baikonur projects. It plans to build its own satellites and provide launch service for other countries.

Russia and Kazakhstan are currently building a new launch facility at Baikonur for the new Angara rocket, which will be an environmentally-friendly alternative to the Proton. The Proton rocket uses poisonous fuel that sometimes spills onto the steppe after blastoff.