ArmInfo.On May 25, at 10:35pm Yerevan time, Armenia's first satellite was launched into the Earth's orbit on a SpaceX rocket from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (Florida, USA). Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan announced this on May 26 during a government meeting.
As the prime minister noted further, the satellite was launched into space as a result of cooperation between the Armenian state Geocosmos company and the Spanish Satlantis.
According to him, one of the primary goals will be the localization of space technologies in Armenia and the organization of the production of space equipment. In particular, by the end of 2023, it is planned to establish a Satellite Control Center and a downlink facility , the main functions of which will be to control satellites and receive the images from space. As the head of government noted, these images will be used in border control, emergency prevention and management, environmental protection, climate change monitoring, urban planning, road construction and other areas. It is planned that the station will also cooperate with foreign operators.
In this regard, Nikol Pashinyan recalled that in 2020, the Ministry of High-Tech Industry developed the RA Law on Space Activities, which was adopted by the Parliament, and within the framework of which tax benefits are provided to licensed companies operating in this field.
"The significance of what happened cannot be overestimated. With this step, Armenia is entering the space era, and we hope that our rich traditions in the space research and production sector will be restored", he concluded.
It should be noted that Geocosmos CJSC is the leading company in Armenia, specializing in the use of the results of space activities, including the reception, processing and use of Earth remote sensing data. It is also one of the companies that signed an agreement on the production of EAEU satellites
