Pashinyan outlines Armenia’s next steps in space ambitions PHOTO

Armenia has entered a new phase in developing its national space capabilities, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the first International Space Summit in Paris.

Pashinyan highlighted Armenia’s progress in developing its own satellite capabilities, citing the launch of the country’s first satellite, ARMSAT-1, in 2022.

“In 2022, Armenia launched its first satellite, ARMSAT-1, developed using European technologies and placed into orbit by SpaceX. Just one year later, we reached another important milestone: HAYASAT-1, the first Armenian satellite fully assembled and tested by Armenian specialists,” Pashinyan said.

He said the development of national space capabilities had been designated as a separate strategic objective in the Armenian Government’s Programme for 2026–2031.

Under the programme, Armenia plans to launch at least three satellites — two dedicated to Earth observation and one to telecommunications. At the same time, the country intends to develop its own ground infrastructure and domestic capabilities for satellite control, as well as for receiving, processing and analysing data.

“We also plan to establish a distributed network of ground stations,” Pashinyan said.

By Tamilla Hasanova