Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan.17 / Trend, H. Valiyev /
Azerbaijan's first communications satellite (Azerspace-1) will be delivered to the Kuru space launching site in October, and its launch is scheduled for the next three months (by late 2012).
Azerbaijani Communications and IT Minister Ali Abbasov said at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held yesterday under President Ilham Aliyev's chairmanship and dedicated to the outcomes of socio-economic development in 2011.
The satellite is expected to be launched in late 2012. Azerspace's manufacturer is Orbital Sciences Corporation. An orbital position of 46 degrees east longitude has been leased from Malaysian satellite operator MEASAT. French Arianspace will launch the satellite into orbit.
According to Abbasov, at present, research work on launching the second satellite into orbit, which is expected in 2015, is under completion.
A small satellite to monitor the earth's surface is planned to be launched in 2013.
Work on construction of main and reserve satellite control center should be completed in August.
The main control center will be located in the Guzdek settlement in the Garadag district of Baku, while the reserve - in the territory of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic.