Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 25 / Trend H. Valiyev /
The coordinating council on the implementation of state programs for the creation and development of space industry in Azerbaijan, summed up the work conducted last year, Rauf Rzayev, leading advisor of strategic planning and scientific capacity of the Azerbaijani Communications and IT Ministry, told Trend.
Rzayev said that the results of completed and upcoming work were discussed last Saturday with the participation of experts of the Ministry and other relevant bodies of Azerbaijan.
The coordinating council also considered the issues of coordination of frequency assignments for satellite systems. The relevant decisions were made.
The U.S Orbital Sciences Corporation is a manufacturer of Azerspace satellite.
Earlier, the ministry signed a long-term contract on leasing an orbital position for Azerspace with the Malaysian MEASAT satellite operator.
A carrier rocket will be determined one of these days to launch the satellite into orbit. At present, the Ministry is working to evaluate the proposals of companies producing a carrier rocket, ILS, Arianespace, SpaceX and Ukroboronservis. According to the work plan, it is planned to be launched by late 2012.
Azerbaijan's capital investment in the project is roughly 319 million manat; 127 million will be spent on operating costs.
The income from Azerspace will reach 495 million manat. The payback period is six years, and the income will reach 176 million manat.
The received revenue will be spent on the country's technological development.