Azerbaijan to launch its satellite into orbit in 2012

Communication Minister Ali Abbasov says that over the past year the ministry opened tenders for orbital launching of the country's first telecommunication satellite and plans to sign a contract on orbital position of the satellite with help of a consulting company late January and a main contract with producer company in February.

“There is a delay in this work by about three months that is linked with taking into account the recommendations of the consulting company, the expert group and the Ministry of Finance. Thus, we expect to launch the satellite into orbit already in June 2012,” the minister said.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev approved the State Program on creation and development of space industry under the related decree he signed earlier.

In accordance with the new decree, the Ministry of Communication was entrusted to coordinate execution of the state program. The measures are financed by the state budget, as well as other sources not banned by legislation. The Cabinet of Ministers was entrusted to solve issues, emerging from real decree.

/Abc.az/