Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6
By Huseyn Valiyev - Trend:
The project for the launch of Azerbaijan's second telecom satellite, Azerspace-2, will be realized jointly with the US and French companies, the Azerbaijani Minister of Communications and High Technologies Ali Abbasov told reporters Feb. 6.
The minister said the second satellite's orbiting is scheduled for 2017 and currently work is underway in this direction.
"Azerbaijan's satellite program is being successfully realized," said the minister. "As is known, the first satellite was orbited on Feb. 8, 2013, and has been operated since."
"By late this year, the first satellite's costs will start to be repaid, and in the subsequent years it will reach a level of profitability," the minister added.
He also noted that the low-orbit satellite of Azerbaijan [second in a row] was handed over to the Azerbaijani side on Dec. 2, 2014, and has already begun to generate revenue.
"Its resources are used both by foreign customers and the local ones, and it is expected to reach the profitability level this year," said Abbasov.
Speaking about Azerbaijan's second telecom satellite, which is scheduled for launch in 2017, the minister said, "we are already working in this direction and this project is likely to be realized with the American and French companies."
Edited by SI
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