OREANDA-NEWS. January 21, 2009. The Ministry of Communications & Information Technologies of Azerbaijan is holding a close tender procedure for development of a national satellite.

Communication minister Ali Abbasov said that today the tender commission starts its work.

“The tender will be organized among restricted number of companies. The latter have already submitted their bids,” the minister said.

Azerbaijan plans to put into operation its first satellite in 2010 and the second one in 2011. The future satellite should first of all broadcast on Europe and part of Asia. The satellite should have transmission in TV and radio, and Internet.

The Satellite Project is estimated at USD 100-170 million.

Support to Azerbaijan is given by Silk Sat Programme initiated by Russian academic Roald Sagdeyev residing in the US. Silk-Sat project stipulates creation of single satellite system of the Silk Route countries with financing by the US and Russia.