Azerspace-1 Africasat-1a
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Azerspace-1/Africasat-1a', is Azerbaijan's first satellite in space. Built by Orbital Sciences Corporation, it was launched by
Ariane 5 Ariane 5 is a European heavy-lift space launch vehicle developed and operated by Arianespace for the European Space Agency (ESA). It is launched from the Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG) in French Guiana. It has been used to deliver payloads int ...
into orbit on February 7, 2013 from Kourou in French Guiana at orbital positions 46° east. The satellite covers Europe and a significant part of Asia and Africa. It is operated by the Azerbaijani company
Azercosmos Space Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azercosmos) ( az, Azərkosmos Açıq Səhmdar Cəmiyyəti (Azərkosmos ASC)) is a public legal entity under Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan and ...
and has transmission capabilities for TV, radio broadcasting and the internet. The satellite has an anticipated service life of 15 years.


Cost

It is believed that the satellite cost of
US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
120
million One million (1,000,000), or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian ''millione'' (''milione'' in modern Italian), from ''mille'', "thousand", plus the au ...
and was established by Orbital Sciences Corporation. Arianespace’s president Jean-Yves Le Gall emphasized that the weight of the satellite would be three tonnes. 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. The funds will be issued to Azercosmos OJSC.


Satellite specifications

The satellite has solar arrays with four panels per array, using UTJ Gallium Arsenide cells. It will be stabilized with a 3-axis stabilized, zero momentum system. It will have a liquid bi-propellant transfer orbit system, with a monopropellant (hydrazine) on-orbit system. Power will be held in two Li-Ion batteries with a capacity of >4840 W/hr. Azerspace-1/Africasat-1A has a hybrid payload including both C- band and Ku-band antennae. There will be 24 active C-band transponders, using a single shell super-elliptical deployable reflector, with a single shell super-elliptical deck-mounted reflector. There will also be 12 active Ku-band transponders, using a single shell super-elliptical deployable reflector. The Ku-band transponders (11.2 GHz and 14.0 GHz) have a contour map that primarily covers Europe and Central Asia. The C-band contour map (3740 MHz and 5965 MHz) also covers Europe and Central Asia, as well as nearly all of Africa.


Orbit

The satellite based on Orbital's flight-proven STAR-2 platform and generates approximately five kilowatts of payload power for 36 active transponders. Upon completion of in-orbit testing, operational control of the satellite was handed over to Azerbaijan's Ministry of Communications and IT, and since October, 2017
Azercosmos Space Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azercosmos) ( az, Azərkosmos Açıq Səhmdar Cəmiyyəti (Azərkosmos ASC)) is a public legal entity under Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan and ...
OJSCo controls Azerspace-1 independently.


Operation

The satellite's operations are controlled by a state-run company,
Azercosmos Space Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azercosmos) ( az, Azərkosmos Açıq Səhmdar Cəmiyyəti (Azərkosmos ASC)) is a public legal entity under Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan and ...
, owned by the Government of Azerbaijan Azerspace-1/Africasat-1A is a joint venture between Azerbaijan and satellite fleet operator
MEASAT Satellite Systems MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn. Bhd, formerly Binariang Satellite Systems Sdn. Bhd is a Malaysian communications satellite operator, which owns and operates the MEASAT (Malaysia East Asia Satellite) and AFRICASAT spacecraft. The company provides sat ...
of Malaysia, which owns the rights to the orbital slot at 46 degrees east longitude, and which will be using about 40 percent of the satellite's total capacity. Azerbaijan uses 20 percent, with the remaining capacity to be available for other customers.Space News
/ref> As of 2014, satellite carries 13 radio stations and 128 television channels, mostly free to air, in addition to its services to the government. As of 2018, the satellite carries around 100 TV and radio channels, mostly free to air, in addition to its services to the government.


Follow-on activities

The launch of its own satellite inaugurated Azerbaijan's space industry. In April 2011, deputy director of the
Azerbaijan National Aerospace Agency Azerbaijan National Aerospace Agency (MAKA; az, Azərbaycan Milli Aerokosmik Agentliyi) is a governmental body that coordinates all Azerbaijani space research programs with scientific and commercial goals. National Aerospace Agency has been opera ...
Tofig Suleymanov hinted that Azerbaijan had plans to launch a second satellite to study the Earth's interior and atmosphere in 2014. On 26 November 2011, the head of Azercosmos, Rashad Nabiyev, reported that the launch of the second satellite was expected to occur in 2015.
Azercosmos Space Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azercosmos) ( az, Azərkosmos Açıq Səhmdar Cəmiyyəti (Azərkosmos ASC)) is a public legal entity under Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan and ...
was launched second telecommunication satellite,
Azerspace-2 Azerspace-2, also known as Intelsat 38, is Azerbaijan's second telecommunications satellite, built by SSL (company), Space Systems/Loral, California and managed by Azercosmos and Intelsat. History A strategic agreement was signed between the ...
, in 25 September 2018 by 22:38 by UTC, to provide broadband and broadcast services to customers in Europe, the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Central and South Asia. The new satellite is equipped with 35 transponders in Ku-band, and will be located at 45° East longitude. The lifespan of Azerspace-2 is expected to be 15 years.


See also

*
Azerbaijan National Aerospace Agency Azerbaijan National Aerospace Agency (MAKA; az, Azərbaycan Milli Aerokosmik Agentliyi) is a governmental body that coordinates all Azerbaijani space research programs with scientific and commercial goals. National Aerospace Agency has been opera ...


References


External links


IMS
Official provider's site
AfricaSat 1 / MEASAT 1 Channels
at Satepedia {{Use British English, date=January 2014 2013 in Azerbaijan Spacecraft launched in 2013 Communications satellites Communications satellites in geostationary orbit Satellite television Satellites orbiting Earth Satellites of Azerbaijan First artificial satellites of a country Satellites using the GEOStar bus Azercosmos