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Turkmenistan to create special group within national satellite system project

Business Materials 11 September 2012 16:12 (UTC +04:00)

Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Sept. 11 / Trend H.Hasanov /

A report by the National Space Agency under the Turkmen President on the work done to establish a coordination working group to develop national satellite system project was heard at a government level in Ashgabat, an official Turkmen source said on Tuesday.

This agency will have to control the satellite's earth's orbit, establishment of communications, scientific research on the study of outer space, as well as control over the organisation of an artificial satellite from Turkmenistan.

According to the contract signed in December 2011, Thales Alenia Space began building Turkmen's first national satellite. In turn, the Chinese industrial company Great Wall has signed a contract with Thales whereby China will help Turkmenistan launch its first communication satellite.

The information says that the new satellite developed by Thales, will have a weight of 4.5 tons, a design life of 15 years. The launch is planned for 2014 from Xichang Satellite Launch Centre with a rocket of the Changzheng-3B type.

This is the first satellite in the region to be launched by Turkmenistan. It will make a significant breakthrough in the field of telecommunications, communications and other applications such as the Internet and mobile communications.

According to some estimates, Turkmenistan's astroclimatic conditions are among the best in the world for holding astronomical observations. In particular the clarity of the atmosphere, favourable wind conditions and illumination allows observation of cosmic objects more than two hours during the year.

There is an observatory on the Dushak Mountain in Turkmenistan. The observatory has a meter telescope and other equipment which need modernising.

An artificial satellite may be used to resolve the tasks of the national economy of the country. In particular it will be possible to monitor agricultural areas and conduct research for the needs of the oil and gas complexes and to carry out environmental monitoring from space.

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