Armenia faces calls to retrieve satellites amid interference concerns

Armenia is under pressure from undisclosed countries to bring back its satellites, Armsat-1 and Hayasat-1, launched in 2022 and 2023 respectively, citing interference issues with other spacecraft.

This development prompted appeals to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for their return, though the countries involved remain unspecified, Caliber.Az reports citing a Yerevan-based newspaper.

The dismissal of Armenian Deputy Minister of High-Tech Industry Avet Poghosyan on July 1st has been linked in the media to alleged operational issues with the satellites. However, Poghosyan denies these claims, stating that his resignation was unrelated to the satellites' functionality. He clarified that Hayasat-1, a private initiative with a state-issued space license, operates independently of direct ministry oversight.

Armsat-1, Armenia's inaugural strategic satellite launched with assistance from Satlantis in 2022, has faced scrutiny for purportedly not publishing any photographs since its deployment.

The Armenian Ministry of High-Tech Industry previously asserted the satellite's stability in communication and its role in space photography without specifying details.