Azercosmos studies benefits to launch 4th satellite

Azercosmos OJSC, the national satellite operator of Azerbaijan and the premier satellite operator in the Caucasus, is studying the economic benefits that Azerbaijan can obtain from the launch of the fourth satellite into orbit.

The exact answer to this question can be announced after launching the third satellite, Azerspace-2/Intelsat38, into orbit and realizing satellite capacities, the company told Trend.

Meanwhile, ELA-3, a launch complex located at the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana, informed that the launch of the Ariane 5 ECA rocket with the VA-242 mission aboard with the Azerspace-2 satellite be completed in January 2018.

Along with Azerbaijan’s Azerspace-2, the rocket will also launch the Avanti Communications HYLAS 4 satellite into orbit. Previously, the company launched Azerbaijan’s first satellite, Azerspace/Africasat-1a.

Having the life span in orbit of 15 years, Azerspace-2 will provide digital broadcasting, data transmission and other services. It will also support the DTH (Direct-to-Home) satellite broadcasting platform, which will contribute to the emergence of DTH operators in Azerbaijan.

The satellite is being manufactured by Space Systems Loral (SSL) company, which also provides satellite control systems. Under the strategic agreement with Intelsat, the world’s leading provider of satellite services, the satellite will be placed into geostationary orbit 45 degrees east longitude and will serve the countries of Europe, Central and South Asia, Middle East and Africa.

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

Today, the company provides telecommunication services through the Azerspace-1, which in turn provides millions of viewers with an access to information and communications services worldwide.

Azerspace-2 will be the second telecommunications satellite of Azercosmos. It will expand on the current capacity of Azerspace-1, which was launched in 2013. The new satellite will provide Azercosmos with additional capacity for the increasing demand in the region, and will allow continue to bring the best service to its customers.

For the four-year period since the launch of the first satellite, it has been possible to attract potential customers and make its orbital position recognizable. The satellite will begin to pay back its investment after eight years of operation in orbit.

The overall number of TV and radio channels Azerspace-1 currently broadcasts reaches 130. At present, service area of Azerspace-1 includes several countries of Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Earlier, it was reported that the revenues from “Azerspace-1” amounted to $80 million.