Azercosmos and SpaceX sign cooperation agreement

Azerbaijan’s space agency Azercosmos has signed a cooperation agreement with the US Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX).

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the meeting held between the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, Azercosmos and SpaceX.

Under the agreement, Azercosmos and SpaceX reached an agreement on resale of Starlink broadband satellite Internet services in Azerbaijan.

Starlink satellite internet services, which have already been successfully tested by Azercosmos in our country, can be used in government agencies, sea, land, railway and other transport lines, work centers and data centers located in remote areas, in a word, in areas with insufficient internet coverage.

Azercosmos Chairman of the Board Sameddin Asadov said that we are pleased to cooperate with a global technology giant like SpaceX in our country. As a partner of Starlink Internet services, we will expand our advanced satellite technology both at sea and on land by overcoming the barriers created by traditional and often limited telecommunications infrastructures.

At the meeting, SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell noted that this cooperation is an important step towards the future development of the space sphere between Azerbaijan and SpaceX. She praised the International Astronautical Congress to be held in Baku as an important initiative at the global level and said that SpaceX will take part in the congress in Baku.

It should be noted that Space X aims to bring satellite internet to every point on Earth through its Starlink satellite network. The company began putting satellites into orbit in 2018 and to date has launched more than 4,000 satellites. These small satellites, manufactured in the US, weigh 230-260 kg and have a lifespan of 7 years. The satellites in the Starlink satellite network rise to an altitude of 540-570 km above the Earth’s surface, which is considered a low orbit.