BAKU. Feb 10 (Interfax-AVN) - It is planned to sign an agreement to launch the second Azerbaijani TV communications satellite in August 2014, Azerbaijani Minister of Communications and Information Technology Ali Abbasov told reporters on February 8.
"We have already declared a closed tender to launch the second satellite. Proposals for the tender have been sent to over ten leading companies in the world. We plan to sign the agreement with the tender winner in August 2014," Abbasov said.
The satellite is to be launched within 30 months from the contract being signed, the minister said.
The Azerspace-1 satellite was launched from the Kourou cosmodrome [in South America in French Guiana] on February 9, 2013. In May 2010 the Azerbaijani ministry signed a contract on satellite production with the U.S. Orbital Sciences Corporation. Azerbaijan has also signed a long-term rent agreement with the Malaysian company MEASAT on using the orbital position for the Azerspace-1 communications satellite. It is expected that the expenses should be paid off in five to seven years and in the next 15 years the satellite will bring net profit only.
The total cost of Azerspace-1 is $233 million: $121.7 million was spent on producing the satellite, $93.8 million on launching it, and $17.5 on insuring it, one-year operation and other insurance-related expanses. Meanwhile, the $121.7 million was spent not just on production but on building the necessary land equipment, personnel training etc. as well.
The Azerkosmos joint stock company expects to receive a $420 million net profit from operating Azerspace-1.