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Timing announced for commercial sale of first Azerbaijani satellite's resources to foreign marketsFeb 27, 2013 (Trend News Agency - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- The first national telecommunications satellite Azerspace-1 will be transferred to the control of Azercosmos OJS in mid-March, Azerbaijani Minister of Communications and Information Technologies Ali Abbasov told journalists on Wednesday. "Starting April 1, Azerbaijani TV channels will be placed on satellite resources. Commercial sale of the satellite resources to foreign markets will start on May 1," he said. Currently the American Orbital Sciences Corp. is testing the Azerspace-1 satellite. The satellite took its orbital position at 46 degrees east longitude and is managed by experts of Azercosmos from the main control centre. Azerspace/Africasat-1a was launched from the start complex ELA-3 at the Guiana Space Centre on Feb. 8 by an Ariane 5 ECA rocket carrier of French company Arianespace. The payload of Azerspace/Africasat-1, built on the STAR-2 platform, consists of 36 transponders (24 C-band transponders and a 12 Ku-band range). The frequency band of each transponder is 36 MHz and the satellite weights 3275 kg and it service life in orbit will extend up to 14 years. The satellite was launched into a geostationary orbit at 46 degrees east longitude and is leased from Malaysia's Measat Satellite Systems, owned by the government of Malaysia. Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia and North Africa will be included in the service area of Azerspace. The Azerbaijani satellite Azerspace/Africasat-1 is designed to provide digital broadcasting, Internet access, data transmission and the creation of VSAT multiservice networks and governmental communications. Do you have any feedback Contact our journalist at [email protected] Tags: Azerspace-1, Azercosmos ___ (c)2013 Trend News Agency (Baku, Azerbaijan) Visit Trend News Agency (Baku, Azerbaijan) at en.trend.az Distributed by MCT Information Services |