Astana, Aug 21 (RIA Novosti) Kazakhstan's first satellite KazSat-1 has been put into orbit for a 'space burial', the country's mission control reported Friday.

The $100 million communications satellite, built for Kazakhstan by Russia's Khrunichev Space Centre, was put into orbit about 36,000 km above the Earth in June 2006.

Featuring eight Ku-band transponders for landline communications and four Ku-band transponders for TV transmissions, it was designed for broadcasting, fixed satellite communication and data transmission for Kazakhstan and Central Asia.

Mission officials lost control of KazSat-1 in 2008. In August this year, a decision was taken to discard it, since it posed a threat of collision with other satellites. KazSat-1's manufacturer-guaranteed service life was 10 years.

--RIA Novosti

snb/vt