Azerbaijan, Baku, July 28 / Trend , G.Valiyev/
A winner of the tender to create Azerbaijan's satellite will be determined next week, Communications and Information Technology (IT) Minister Ali Abbasov told journalists.
At present proposals of the companies submitting their tender bids to create the first satellite have been examined in detail and a winner-company will be determined next week, the minister said.
The project is being implemented in line with the president's decree to create a space industry in the country.
Five companies of the United States, Russia and France are attending the tender. Azerbaijan is examining an opportunity to buy two satellites. The first satellite will be bought via the country's own funds, second - via foreign loans.
So far, the International Union of Electronic Communication has granted two orbital positions to Azerbaijan which it leases for 20 years.
According the IT ministry's reports, the first satellite will be launched in 2011, second - by 2012. This project will enable Azerbaijan to enter the international space market. The AzerSpace satellite will cover the European countries (except Scandinavian) and partially Asia. The satellite will have transmission for TV and radio broadcasting and Internet.
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