Kazakhstan puts its first satellite into space

The former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan launched its first communications satellite into orbit on Sunday, joining the club of world space powers.
Russian President Vladimir Putin joined Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev to witness the launch of the unmanned, Russian-built KazSat 1 as the sun rose over the barren steppe surrounding the Baikonur Cosmodrome in western Kazakhstan.
The $65 million satellite is part of Nazarbayev's wider plan to raise the profile of his country, one of the world's top 20 oil producers, as a key player in the Central Asian region while maintaining good ties with neighbouring Russia.
Putin watched the launch through binoculars while Nazarbayev pointed at the Russian-built Proton booster rocket that carried the satellite into space. The two leaders left shortly afterwards without speaking to reporters.