In accordance with the “State Program for the Establishment and Development of the Space Industry in the Republic of Azerbaijan”, approved by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2009, the implementation of modern space projects has begun in Azerbaijan. By Order No. 885 of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated May 3, 2010, the Open Joint Stock Company Azercosmos (Azercosmos OJSC) was established.
In 2013, the telecommunications satellite Azerspace-1 was launched into orbit, in 2014 – the Earth observation satellite Azersky, in 2018 – the telecommunications satellite Azerspace-2.
By Decree No. 1326 of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated April 27, 2021, a legal entity of public law “Space Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azercosmos)” was established under the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
“Space Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azercosmos)” is a legal entity of public law participating in the formation and implementation of state policy in the field of space activities, exercising regulation and control in this area, functions of national and social importance in the field of launching into orbit, operating telecommunications satellites, satellites for observation of the Earth’s surface and for other purposes and their control, participating in international space projects, cooperating with relevant international organizations and government agencies of foreign states in the field of the use of outer space for peaceful purposes.
The transformation of Azercosmos into the Space Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan and its functioning under the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan will contribute to the further development of our country due to the rapid technological progress in the world and the improvement of management of space activities in Azerbaijan.
Azerspace-1 - telecommunications satellite
Azerbaijan’s first telecommunications satellite Azerspace-1 was launched on February 8, 2013 from the Kourou cosmodrome in French Guiana. The satellite was launched into orbit using the Ariane 5 launch vehicle of the French company Arianspace.
Azerspace-1 satellite is currently one of the satellites with the strongest signal over Azerbaijan. At present, some 100 local and international television and radio channels are broadcasted via satellite in Azerbaijani, Turkish, Russian, English and other languages.
Azersky – remote Earth observation satellite
The first Azerbaijani Earth remote sensing satellite was launched in 2014. In 2023, Azersky completed its mission one year earlier than the estimated lifetime, i.e. in its ninth year of operation. Thus, data exchange with the Azersky satellite has been stopped.
During these nine years, thanks to the Azersky satellite, there has been direct, unconditional access to high-resolution satellite images anywhere in the world. Over the past period, Azersky satellite services have been used in defence and security, agriculture, ecology and environmental protection, mapping, infrastructure planning and monitoring, updating of cadastral data, study of oil pollution research at sea and on land and other areas.
Azerspace-2 - telecommunications satellite
Telecommunication satellite Azerspace-2 was successfully launched into orbit on September 26, 2018 from the Kourou cosmodrome. The satellite was manufactured by company Space Systems / Loral (SSL) based on the highly reliable SSL 1300 satellite platform. Azerspace-2 is equipped with modern electric motors. These electric motors make more efficient use of the capacity of the satellites. The Azerspace-2 satellite covers the countries of Europe, Central and South-West Asia, the Middle East and tropical Africa.