Armenia launches first space satellite

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at a government meeting announced the launch of the first Armenian space satellite.

“On May 25, 2022, at 22:35 Yerevan time, the first space satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral in the United States on the Space-X spacecraft,” Pashinyan said, Caliber.Az reports, referring to the Armenian media.

The rocket launch was attended by High-Tech Industry Minister Robert Khachatryan and Armenian Ambassador to the US Lilit Makunts. All decisions in this area were made in secrecy.

The launch, according to him, became possible thanks to the cooperation of the Armenian state enterprise Geokosmos2 and the Spanish company SATLANTIS. The significance of this event cannot be overestimated, the Prime Minister stressed.

According to him, the goal of the government is to localize space technologies in Armenia, as well as to produce space equipment.

Pashinyan noted that by the end of 2023, a satellite control centre and a receiving station will be created in Armenia. Scientific and production team of specialists will be formed around this station.

The main tasks of the centre will be satellite control and photo acquisition.

“Satellite photos will be used in Armenia for border control, emergency prevention and management, environmental protection, road construction and other areas,” Pashinyan said.

He noted that the production of space equipment is considered one of the rapidly developing areas in the world. With this in mind, the Security Council of Armenia and the Ministry of High-Tech Industry developed a law on space activities, which was approved by the parliament.