Myanmar regime and Russia’s Roscosmos sign agreements to send first cosmonaut to space by 2028
- Aug 24
- 2 min read
Regime spokesperson Khaing Khaing Soe told pro-regime media on Sunday that Myanmar will send its first cosmonauts to space in 2028 through bilateral agreements with Russia among the 12 pacts signed between regime leader Min Aung Hlaing and President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Aug. 17-20.
The agreement also covers plans to establish a satellite-based search and rescue station in Myanmar, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) station, and a station to monitor and help protect against space hazards, including objects that could potentially approach or impact Earth.
Russian media reported that Dmitry Bakanov, head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, and Soe Myint Maung, the Myanmar Space Agency executive director, signed four deals regarding space-sector cooperation between Myanmar and Russia in Moscow on Aug. 18.
Bakanov stated on Feb. 26 that Russia will help select and train Myanmar’s first cosmonaut during his visit to Naypyidaw where he held talks with regime officials, including Min Aung Hlaing.
“I do not believe that Myanmar is going to move quickly into a space exploration phase,” Richard Horsey, senior Asia advisor at the International Crisis Group (ICG) told DVB in an interview following Min Aung Hlaing’s visit to Moscow.
Horsey referred to the space deals as “diplomatic signals” from Naypyidaw to show Moscow that the two countries share the same interests.
Citing a Myanmar satellite communications expert who spoke on the condition of anonymity, BBC Burmese reported that Myanmar has become a partner for Russia as it seeks to sustain its space tourism industry.
Min Aung Hlaing told the Chinese state media on June 17 that Beijing and Naypyidaw were in discussions on cooperation in the space sector, including a plan to launch a small satellite “in the near future.”
The Myanmar Space Agency was established on June 1, 2025 under the direct supervision of the head of state.
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