First national satellite to bring $10 million in 2013

Source: AzerNews

The volume of revenues from the first national telecommunication satellite Azerspace/Africasat-1a project will reach approximately $10 million until the year-end, Azerbaijani space agency Azercosmos reports.

The national satellite, Azerspace-1, started its full commercial operation on July 16. Some 80 percent of the satellite's resources are available for commercial purposes.

According to Azercosmos, at present, the satellite operator has implemented more than 50 percent of the satellite's resources.

The satellite broadcasts more than 50 television channels, eight of which are local, including AzTV, ITV, CBC, Xezer TV, ANS TV, Medeniyyet TV, Idman Azerbaycan, Azad Azerbaycan TV.

TV channels are currently broadcasting both standard and live via the satellite. Radio channels are also broadcasting by means of the satellite.

The satellite was designed to offer digital broadcasting services, Internet access, data transmission, to create multiservice VSAT networks and provide for governmental communication.

The TV content is available when satellite antennas configured with 11,169 MHz frequency, 20,400 speed, Horizontal and FEC - 5/6 polarization.

Launched in February, Azerspace is controlled by the specialists of Azercosmos from Main Home Ground Satellite Control Center near the capital Baku. An alternative ground control center is operating in Nakhchivan.

The Azerspace satellite exploitation term in the orbit will be up to 15 years. The satellite's services will cover Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia and North Africa.

The total value of the Azerspace-1 project is about $230 million, including expenses on the construction of ground control stations, staff training, insurance costs and launching. The satellite is expected to fetch $500-600 million to the country's coffers in 15 years.

According to Azercosmos, launching of a second telecommunications satellite Azerspace-2 is scheduled for 2018.

Moreover, Azerbaijan will launch its low-orbit satellite in 2015 to observe the Earth's surface.

The construction of multipurpose earth station to receive real-time images from different satellites both optical and radar for Azercosmos is expected to start before the 2013 end.

The opportunities of the station will include monitoring of the state borders, detecting of environmental pollution, monitoring of oil and gas industry wastes, meteorological forecast and predictions of climate change, etc.