The device was launched from Cape Canaveral in the USA, and it was launched into space by a Falcon 9 rocket. According to Nikol Pashinyan, preparations for this mission were conducted in secrecy.
The SpaceX rocket launched on May 25, at 22:35 Yerevan time, from Cape Canaveral in the USA. Among the 59 satellites put into orbit was the first space satellite of Armenia. It was created as a result of cooperation between the Armenian state-owned CJSC Geocosmos and the Spanish company Santlantis.
According to the Prime Minister of the Republic Nikol Pashinyan, among the subsequent goals of Armenia in this area is the localization of space technologies and the production of components of space equipment within the country. By the end of 2022, a space activity control center will be created there. At the first stage, it will control the operation of the satellite and the processing of the images it receives.
The images themselves will be needed for border protection, emergency prevention and management, as well as for environmental protection, including monitoring of climate change, and construction (including road construction).
The launched satellite is relatively small, but it allows you to take pictures of the Earth in relatively high resolution
Image source: Sputnik Armenia
Not much is known about the technical features of the satellite. The authorities of the republic collaborated in its creation with the Spanish company Satlantis, which usually deals with small satellites. Visually, photos published in the media indicate that the first Armenian satellite most likely belongs to the iSIM-90 line. It corresponds to the 16U CubeSat format with an estimated mass of the launched unit up to 17.9 kilograms (the satellite instruments themselves weigh noticeably less).
Such satellites usually specialize in observations of the Earth's surface. The band in which iSIM-90 sees what it flies over has a width of up to 26 kilometers (with an orbit altitude of 500 kilometers). Their resolution can reach 1.26 meters, which allows you to get fairly detailed maps of the surface.
©Sputnik Armenia
The launch of the Falcon 9, which put the satellite into orbit, was attended by the Minister of High-Tech Industry of the Republic Robert Khachatryan and Ambassador to the United States Lilit Makunts. All decisions in this area were made in secrecy, probably due to the traditionally tense relations between Yerevan and Baku.
"This is how Armenia enters the era of space activity, and we hope that our rich traditions in this area (space research and production) will be restored," Nikol Pashinyan commented on the launch.
The Security Council of Armenia and the Ministry of High-Tech Industry have already developed a law "On space activities", which was approved by the parliament. The goal is to stimulate the development of the space sector in the country. Licensed companies operating in it will be provided with tax benefits.
