Azerbaijan's first satellite to be launched today
Orbital Sciences Corporation, one of the world's leading space
technology companies, announced today that it is in final
preparations for the launch of the Azerspace/Africasat-1a
commercial communications satellite for Azercosmos, Open Joint
Stock Company of the Ministry of Communications and Information
Technologies of Azerbaijan, Embassy of Azerbaijan to the U.S.
reported.
Designed, manufactured and tested at Orbital's Dulles, Virginia
satellite production facilities, Azerspace/Africasat-1a is
scheduled to be launched aboard an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou,
French Guiana on Thursday.
Following its launch, the satellite will undergo in-orbit testing
and verification that all subsystems are operating as planned. Once
testing is complete and the spacecraft is positioned at its orbital
location, day-to-day operations of Azerspace/Africasat-1a will be
handed over to Azercosmos, which will continue to operate the
spacecraft from its control centers in Baku and Nakhchivan,
Azerbaijan. These facilities were designed and built by Azercosmos
to support the installation of the ground control systems provided
by Orbital, including ground antennas, radio-frequency electronics,
computer platforms, and the software used to command, monitor and
control the Azerspace/Africasat-1a satellite.
"The launch of Azerbaijan's first telecommunications satellite
marks an important milestone in the successful partnership with
U.S. industry and the Government of Azerbaijan," said Azerbaijani
ambassador to the United States Elin Suleymanov. "We look forward
to the launch of the satellite, which will address current and
future communications needs of Azerbaijan, the Caucasus Region,
Central Asia, Europe and Africa."
With an anticipated service life of 15 years,
Azerspace/Africasat-1a is based on Orbital's flight-proven
GEOStar-2 platform. The hybrid C- and Ku-band satellite will
generate approximately five kilowatts of payload power and carry 36
active transponders, providing communications services to
Azerbaijan, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Central Asia.
Azerspace/Africasat-1a will operate from an orbital location at 46
degrees East longitude through an arrangement between Azercosmos
and MEASAT Satellite Systems of Malaysia, which owns the rights to
the orbital slot.
"The Azerspace/Africasat-1a satellite is a critical component for
the Republic of Azerbaijan to expand its communications
infrastructure and enhance connectivity with other parts of the
world," said Christopher Richmond, Orbital's Senior Vice President
of Communications Satellites. "This is the tenth GEOStar-2
satellite we've built in the last two years. We are now finishing
our preparations and gearing up for a successful launch."
Orbital's customer for the Azerspace/Africasat-1a satellite is
Azercosmos. Incorporated in 2010, Azercosmos is the premier
satellite operator in both Azerbaijan and the Caucasus region. It
will provide satellite-delivered communications services and highly
reliable satellite platforms to broadcasting, broadband, and
government customers with the launch of Azerspace/Africasat-1a and
other forthcoming satellite projects.
The Azerspace telecommunications satellite of Azerbaijan is
designed to provide digital broadcasting, Internet access, data
transmission, creation of VSAT multiservice networks and
governmental communications.
The center is located in the Guzdek settlement, Garadagh district
of Baku.