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Azerbaijan extends its space studies

27 May 2015 13:41 (UTC+04:00)
Azerbaijan extends its space studies

By Nigar Orujova

Azerbaijan continues to develop its space exploration by creating new facilities and holding researches.

The country will create a center of space weather, said Elchin Babayev, the Executive Director of the Science Development Fund under the Azerbaijani President.

The construction of the new center is conducted on the territory of Shamakhi Astrophysical Observatory, and it will be commissioned before the end of this year, he said.

Babayev said the Space Weather Center will be equipped with antennas, receiving devices, magnetometers and other modern appliances.

Procurement of equipment for the monitoring of space weather is also planned, he added noting that some equipment has already been partially delivered and used.

He added that for accurate scientific results it is necessary that the equipment be used at a sufficient distance from the city to minimize man-made impact.

The center will play an important role in scientific research in the field of space weather, tracking processes occurring on the Sun, keeping track of the effects of geomagnetic storms in real-time and so on.

With the development of space technologies, the interest in this area is increasing, Babayev said. The complex work on the processes of the Sun started in Azerbaijan in the last 10-15 years. At present, a school was established in this area.

Space research on focus

Azerbaijan’s space agency Azercosmos will hold a joint space research with Science Development Foundation under the Azerbaijani President and Turkish Space Technologies Research Institute TUBITAK UZAY.

These organizations have decided to develop cooperation and implement joint projects in this area.

At a trilateral cooperation meeting, the sides presented operating segments of Rasat satellite, space and astronomy studies and satellite projects of TUBITAK UZAY.

Azerbaijani representatives spoke of the importance of the development of the space industry for the country and stressed the special attention given to the Science Development Foundation to local personnel training in the field of space research.

Azerbaijan entered the space club with the launch of its first satellite Azerspace-1 in February 2013. By now, the country has three satellites, a telecommunication and two low orbit satellites, and it plans to launch a second telecommunication satellite in 2017.

The agency reported earlier, that the winner of the tender for the construction of a second telecommunication satellite Azerspace-2 will be determined by mid-June. Companies from the U.S., China, and France are participating in the tender.

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Nigar Orujova is AzerNews’s staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @o_nigar

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

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