Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 1
By Huseyn Veliyev - Trend:
Azerbaijan’s telecommunications satellite Azerspace-2 will reach its target orbit of 45 degrees east longitude in January 2019, Azercosmos OJSC told Trend.
Azercosmos noted that presently, the satellite is in the transfer orbit and is approaching the test orbit day by day.
"According to preliminary data, Azerspace-2 will reach the test orbit by mid-December, after which the tests of the satellite platform will begin. Upon completion of the tests, the satellite will be placed in its final orbit of 45 degrees east longitude in January 2019. After that, the control [of the satellite] will be transferred to Azercosmos. The satellite will be fully ready for commercial operation in January-February 2019," Azercosmos said.
The new satellite will not only expand the range of services and geography of activities of Azercosmos OJSC, but will also act as a reserve for the first telecommunications satellite Azerspace-1. In addition, the second satellite will make it possible to take part in large international tenders, which was not possible before.
Azerspace 2 was launched from the Guiana Space Center on September 26, 2018. The satellite is designed to provide a range of telecommunications services. The satellite’s service area includes countries of Europe, Central and South Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
The main satellite control center is on the 37th kilometer of the Baku-Shamakhi highway, and the reserve is in Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (Nahajir village of the Julfa district of NAR).
Azerbaijan's first telecommunication satellite Azerspace-1 was launched into geostationary orbit on Feb. 8, 2013. The satellite was launched from the Kourou space base by Arianespace.
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