Azerbaijan, Baku, September 19 / Trend , G.Veliyev /
By the end of year, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies (MCIT) of Azerbaijan will sign a contract with Orbital Science Corporation, envisaging establishment of the first Azerbaijani telecommunications satellite Azerspace, MCIT said.
Currently the conditions of the contract are studied. The tender on the creation of the second satellite is planned to be held in 2010.
Orbital Science Corporation is the winner of the tender announced by the MCIT to build the first Azerbaijani satellite Azerspace.
The tender was attended by the French Thales Alenia Space and EADS /Astrium, the U.S. Orbital Sciences Corp and the Space System / Loral inc, and a consortium of Japan and Russia, the companies Sumitomo Corp. and ISS Reshetnev.
The plans of the government include launching two satellites into orbit. Launching the first satellite scheduled for 2011, the second - in 2012.
The cost of launching the first satellite Azerspace is estimated at 163 million manat. Construction of the satellite itself will cost about 87 million manat, including 40 million manat to be spent on launching it into orbit, 16 million manat on satellite control center, and the remaining amount on 100 percent insurance of the satellite.
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