ARMSAT-1's weak characteristics and criminal case: minister- on development of Armenia's space sector

YEREVAN, 9 January. /ARKA/. The first Armenian satellite ARMSAT-1 purchased from a Spanish company could not initially have high characteristics and was not capable of solving all defence issues, Minister of High Technology Industry Mkhitar Hayrapetyan said during a press conference today.

‘It gave us a good opportunity to study what space is, how Armenia can be seriously represented in various fields. But I repeat that in terms of parameters it cannot be compared with the products that the largest companies in the world create and sell to advanced countries,’ he said.  

According to him, Armenia should think not only about long-range surveillance or photo and video satellites, but also about possessing communication satellites.

‘As for the criminal case filed with the Anti-Corruption Committee over the acquisition of the ARMSAT-1 satellite, apart from the amounts noted, there were no other expenditures,’ he said.

'The satellite was purchased in 2022, a ground station was built, to l control not only ARMSAT-1, but also other satellites that Armenia will acquire and even build in the future,’ he said.

On December 1, 2023, the first Armenian-made Hayasat-1 space satellite, created by the domestic Bazoomq laboratory and the Centre for the Development of Education and Scientific Innovation, was successfully launched into Earth orbit.

The launch took place on SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket from Vandenerg Base (California, USA). The weight of the satellite is 1kg and its parameters are 10cm X 10cm X 10cm. The signals sent by the satellite can be intercepted as it passes through the sky over Armenia. -0-