Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 25
By Huseyn Veliyev – Trend:
Construction of Azerspace-2/Intelsat-38, Azerbaijan’s second geostationary satellite, has been completed by 90 percent, a source in the Azerbaijani satellite communications market told Trend.
According to the source, it is planned to complete the remainder of the work within the next four months.
"The construction work will be completed in January 2018," the source said. "The launch of the satellite is scheduled for the first half of 2018."
France’s Arianespace company, which earlier launched the first Azerspace/Africasat-1a satellite (46 degrees east longitude), will launch the second satellite into orbit.
According to the message of ELA-3 (launch complex located at the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana), the launch of the Ariane 5 ECA rocket with the VA-242 mission aboard with the Azerspace-2/Intelsat-38 satellite is scheduled for the first quarter of 2018.
The main advantage of the Ariane 5 ECA launcher is its ability to deliver a payload of 10 tons into orbit. Unlike other launchers, the Ariane 5 ECA is capable of bringing into orbit two satellites at once.
In addition to Azerbaijan’s Azerspace-2/Intelsat-38 satellite, the Ariane 5 ECA rocket will also launch the Avanti Communications HYLAS 4 satellite into orbit.
The second Azerspace-2/Intelsat-38 satellite will be placed into geostationary orbit 45 degrees east longitude. Its service zone will include the countries of Europe, Central and South Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
The satellite is being manufactured by Space Systems Loral (SSL), a subsidiary of Canada’s MDA, The SSL also acts as a provider of satellite control systems.
The second satellite is being built on the SSL 1300 spacecraft platform, which is used to create medium- and heavy-lift geostationary and highly elliptical telecommunications satellites.
Azerspace-2/Intelsat-38 satellite will be equipped with Ku-band transponders and is intended for providing digital broadcasting services, data transmission, etc. The life span of the satellite in orbit will be 15 years.
The second satellite of Azerbaijan will also support the DTH (Direct-to-Home) satellite broadcasting platform, which will contribute to the emergence of DTH operators in Azerbaijan.