The project involves regional infrastructure communication between Africa and Central Asia and plans to establish over 1500 workplaces in the USA in technologies and processing industries.
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) made unconstructive attempts to block the decision.
ASA believes that ANCA’s attempts were aimed at deflecting attention from Armenian-Iranian military cooperation, including the supplying of weapons to Iran used to kill a US serviceman by Sunni militants in Iraq in 2008.
The Orbital Sciences Corporation (USA) signed a contract in Baku on May 27, 2010, to construct the first Azerbaijani satellite. The satellite is due to be ready 26 months after the signing, which is July-August 2012.
The Azerspace/Africasat-1a project will cost a total of 163 million manats, 86-87 million of which are the cost of the satellite and 16 million of which are expenses for managing the satellite. 40 million manats are to be spent on preparation and launch of the rocket, 18 million manats on 100% insurance of the satellite. The Azerbaijani Minister of Communications and Information Technologies, Ali Abbasov, said that the rocket carriers are worth $93 million. Operation systems and staff training will cost $120 million.
The first Azerbaijani satellite will be launched using Ariane-5ECA carriers from the Kuru space port (French Guinea) by Airanespace (France). The satellite will temporarily stay at 46 degrees of East longitude, rented from MeaSat (Malaysian operator). After 7 years of negotiating the position process with 30 states the satellite will be relocated to 43.2, 58.5 and 96 degrees of East longitude.
The satellite will cover part of Europe and Asia. Only 20-25% of the satellite’s reserves will be used by Azerbaijan, the rest will be sold. Malaysia offered to purchase 40% of AzerSpace’s resources.
