Azerbaijan plans to apply satellite technologies in energy sector
By Seymur Aliyev
The Azerbaijani space agency operating under the communications ministry, Azerspace, has submitted to the state oil company SOCAR information of applying satellite technologies in the oil and gas sector and solution of ecological problems, SOCAR's department on environmental issues said on its website on Tuesday.
The information, submitted at a presentation to its participants, covers the required equipment, software, functional capabilities of a station receiving the necessary information and space data, etc, Trend news agency reported.
The first Azerbaijani telecommunications satellite to be put into orbit, Azerspace, is expected to be launched in January 2013, Deputy Communications and IT Minister Iltimas Mammadov said in October. The satellite will be delivered to the Kourou Space Center, located in the north-east of South America in French Guiana, in November, with its launch planned for the beginning of 2013.
The French company Arianespace will launch the satellite into space. The American Orbital Sciences Corporation is the manufacturer of the satellite and the orbital position will be 46 degrees eastern longitude where the satellite will be placed according to an agreement with Malaysian operator MEASAT.
39.5 per cent of the resources of the satellite have already been leased by MEASAT. The Malaysian company will use the resources of the Azerbaijani satellite for telecommunication services and broadcasting.
Azerspace's service area will include the countries of Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia and North Africa. The satellite exploitation term in the orbit will be up to 15 years.
The availability of its own satellites allows Azerbaijan to fill the ranks of developed countries in the field of space technologies and will ensure the country's information security.