AzerSky may ensure safety of pipelines

28 August 2015 17:04 (UTC+04:00)

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By Nigar Orujova

The low orbit satellite AzerSky could be used to monitor and thus ensure the safety of oil and gas pipelines, Azerbaijani satellite operator Azercosmos said on August 28.

Recent explosions along energy pipelines and an unstable situation in the region have increased the need to strengthen security.

The satellite operator’s services include managing the satellites and the provision of satellite services.

The Company said that security services are within the capabilities of the AzerSky satellite and its accompanying structures.

“We are ready to provide them with satellite communication services. As for cases in which the resources of the satellite can be used, it is directly dependent on the structures themselves,” the Company added.

Azersky has a broad range of applications including defense and security, emergency response, the exploration of natural resources, maritime surveillance, sea faring, environmental protection, urban planning, cartography, and tourism.

Earlier, Azercosmos suggested that Azerbaijan use Azersky’s capabilties in agriculture and in surveying land.

The images obtained by Azersky could contribute to the effective management and use of land, simplification in creating digital maps, etc.

Moreover, the resources of the low orbit satellite will be used for the monitoring, delimitation, and demarcation of Azerbaijan state borders.

The satellite is capable of shooting 6 million square kilometers of the surface of the Earth. The resolution of the images obtained will be 1.5 meters. The satellite will work in orbit for 12 years.

Azerbaijan began operating the Azersky satellite on December 2014. The satellite was launched in June 2014 in the framework of strategic cooperation in the space industry between Azerbaijan and France.

Azercosmos is the first satellite operator in the Caucasus. Azerspace-1, the telecommunications satellite operated by Azercosmos, provides highly-reliable broadband and broadcast solutions to its customers in Europe, Africa, Middle East, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.

The satellite which will operate in orbit for at least 15 years was launched in February 2013 and is equipped with 36 transponders: 24 in C-band and 12 in Ku-band at 46° East longitude.

The company's strategic development plans include the launch of a second telecommunications satellite Earth observation services in the coming years.

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