| Operator | Orbital Sciences Corporation |
|---|---|
| Launch date | July-August 2012 |
| Carrier rocket | Ariane 5ECA rocket carrier |
AzerSat-1 (Azerbaijani: AzərSat-1) will be Azerbaijan's first satellite in space. Built by Orbital Sciences Corporation, it is to be launched into orbit in July or August 2012 from Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana at orbital positions 46° East.[1][2][3]. Arianespace will launch the satellite through Ariane 5ECA rocket carrier. The satellite will cover Europe and significant part of Asian countries and Africa and will have transmission for TV, radio broadcasting and the internet.[4][5]
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Construction of the satellite will cost US$ 120 million and to be established by Orbital Sciences Corporation.[6][7] Arianespace’s president Jean-Yves Le Gall emphasized that the weight of the satellite would be 3 tonnes.[8]In April 2011, Export-Import Bank of the United States has approved financing of this project as 85 percent of construction cost which will be provided to the Azerbaijani side in the form of a loan, while the remaining 15 percent will be paid by state funds.[9][10][11] The funds will be issued to Azerkosmos OJSC.[12]
The satellite will be based on Orbital’s flight-proven STAR-2 platform and will generate approximately five kilowatts of payload power for 36 active transponders.[13] Upon completion of in-orbit testing, operational control of the satellite will be handed over to Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Communications and IT. Term of exploitation of the satellite will be 20 years.[8] Satellite has 4 fixed beams in Ku and C bands, coverage maps published on internet.[14]
The satellite's operations will be controlled by a state-run company, Azerkosmos, operating under the Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Communications and IT.[15]
On 23 November 2011, it was confirmed the launch will be proceeded withing expected timetable in 2012.[16]
The launch of its own satellite on orbit will be Azerbaijan's first action in realizing prospective projects to turn itself into a country with a space industry.[17][18]In addition, deputy director of Azerbaijan National Aerospace Agency, Tofig Suleymanov in April 2011 hinted that Azerbaijan may launch second artificial satellite to study the Earth's interior and atmosphere in 2014.[19] [20][21]In 26 November 2011, Head of Azerkosmos, Rashad Nabiyev has reported that launch of the second satellite expected to be be start at 2015.[22][23]