Azerbaijan signs contract on renting orbit for national satellite

The Azerbaijani Ministry of Communications and Information
Technologies and Malaysian satellite operator MEASAT signed a
long-term contract in Istanbul today on renting an orbital position
for the Azerbaijani satellite Azerspace, Trend reports citing the
ministry.

The contract signing will take place in Azerbaijan on May 27th. US
company Orbital Sciences Corporation will produce the Azerspace
satellite. Azerbaijani Communications and Information Technologies
Minister Ali Abbasov said earlier that they are looking for a company
to insure the satellite and carrier rockets.

The government plans to launch the satellite in 2012.

The project was originally to be based on the US ‘Falcon’
carrier-rocket, but due to the delays in the US project the ministry
started negotiations with Ukroboronservice on satellite launching
using Zenit carrier-rockets.

A parallel project of the ministry is realization of the satellite’s
resources. It was reported earlier that Malaysia has expressed its
readiness to purchase 40% of the Azerspace satellite’s resources. In
general, the ministry plans to put 80% of the satellite’s resources on
the international market and 20% for the republic's internal use.

The estimated costs are approximately 163 million manats. Construction
of the satellite will require 87 million manats, 40 million manats
will be spent on putting the satellite into orbit, 16 million manats
will be spent on construction of the satellite control center and the
remaining 18 million manats will be spent on 100% insurance.