Azerspace-1/Africasat-1a',[4] is Azerbaijan's first satellite in space. Built by Orbital Sciences Corporation, it was launched by Ariane 5 into orbit on February 7, 2013 from Kourou in French Guiana at orbital positions 46° east.[5][6][7] The satellite covers Europe and a significant part of Asia and Africa. It is operated by the Azerbaijani company Azercosmos and has transmission capabilities for TV, radio broadcasting and the internet.[8][9]
The satellite has an anticipated service life of 15 years.[10]
Cost
It is believed that the satellite cost of US$ 120 million and was established by Orbital Sciences Corporation.[11][12]Arianespace’s president Jean-Yves Le Gall emphasized that the weight of the satellite would be three tonnes.[13] 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.[14][15][16] The funds will be issued to Azercosmos OJSC.[17]
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 2.5 m × 2.7 m (8 ft 2 in × 8 ft 10 in) single shell super-elliptical deployable reflector, with a 1.4 m × 1.4 m (4 ft 7 in × 4 ft 7 in) single shell super-elliptical deck-mounted reflector. There will also be 12 active Ku-band transponders, using a 2.5 m × 2.7 m (8 ft 2 in × 8 ft 10 in) 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.[18][19]
Orbit
The satellite based on Orbital's flight-proven STAR-2 platform and generates approximately five kilowatts of payload power for 36 active transponders.[20] 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 OJSCo controls Azerspace-1 independently.
Operation
The satellite's operations are controlled by a state-run company, Azercosmos, owned by the Government of Azerbaijan[21] Azerspace-1/Africasat-1A is a joint venture between Azerbaijan and satellite fleet operator MEASAT Satellite Systems of Malaysia, which owns the rights to the orbital slot at 46 degrees east longitude,[18] 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.[22]
As of 2014, satellite carries 13 radio stations and 128 television channels, mostly free to air, in addition to its services to the government.[23] As of 2018, the satellite carries around 100 TV and radio channels, mostly free to air, in addition to its services to the government.[24]
Follow-on activities
The launch of its own satellite inaugurated Azerbaijan's space industry.[25][26] In April 2011, deputy director of the Azerbaijan National Aerospace Agency Tofig Suleymanov hinted that Azerbaijan had plans to launch a second satellite to study the Earth's interior and atmosphere in 2014.[27][28][29] On 26 November 2011, the head of Azercosmos, Rashad Nabiyev, reported that the launch of the second satellite was expected to occur in 2015.[30][31]
Azercosmos was launched second telecommunication satellite, Azerspace-2, in 25 September 2018 by 22:38 by UTC,[32] to provide broadband and broadcast services to customers in Europe, the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Central and South Asia.[33] 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.[34][35]
Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). Cubesats are smaller. Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).
