SPACE STRATEGIES

Azerbaijan has been successfully developing its national space industry for about a decade, with two communications satellites—AzerSpace and the low-orbit optical vehicle Azersky. Over 5/6 of all the revenues of the space operator Azerkosmos are generated in external markets. Today the agency makes every effort to expand international cooperation, introduce new technologies and create a regional space hub in the country. The prospects of space industry development and new trends in this area were presented during the World Space Week recently held in Azerbaijan.

Sustainability is key

World Space Week is the largest annual international event on space exploration. The idea is to demonstrate public support for the space programme, to address issues of space education and to promote international cooperation in this area. To appreciate the importance and long-term perspectives of this work, it is worth mentioning that of the 169 targets defined under 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 65 are directly accomplished by communications and surveillance satellites and related technologies.

Each year, the Board of Directors Association in close cooperation with the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, chooses the theme of World Space Week. The theme for 2022 is Space and Sustainability focused on achieving sustainability in space and on Earth through the introduction of space technologies to make the orbital zone around the Earth usable.

Azerbaijan has been celebrating the World Space Week since it became a member of this UN initiative in 2015. The national organiser of the events is the state agency Azerkosmos JSC under the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport (MDDT). During the week, a series of events and information sessions with university students were held with the support of the communications ministry on various relevant topics, including the role of remote sensing satellites for sustainable economic development in Azerbaijan.

The efforts of MDDT to promote space technology and research in recent years are particularly important amid preparations for the 74th International Astronautical Congress scheduled to take place in Baku for the first time in 2023.

Almost a leader

Azerbaijan launched its first communications satellite Azerspace-1 from the Kourou site in French Guiana nine and a half years ago. The event was later followed by the launch of another low-orbit communications optical satellite Azersky and the commissioning of the Reserve Ground Control Centre in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

Today Azerkosmos is the most export-oriented state organisation: around 90% of its revenues are generated by providing services in the foreign market. The main importers of its services are the UK, France, Luxembourg, UAE, Pakistan and Malaysia. At the same time, the company is very active in developing the markets of the CIS, Eastern Europe, China, the Middle East and Africa, i.e. 45 countries in total. At present the global audience of the Azerbaijani satellites is about 160 TV and radio channels, providers and other structures (about 200 customers in total) and the total user audience exceeds 20 million people. In terms of communication and provision of Azerbaijani ships, drilling platforms, remote fields with the Internet Azerkosmos have no alternatives on space communication. Azerbaijan is undoubtedly the leader in the post-Soviet region, second only to Russia, in terms of the pace and scope of development of the space industry over the past decade.

The space segment of the national economy developed quite dynamically during the pandemic crisis of 2020, overcoming the difficult period observed four years ago, when the global demand for the Internet and other telecommunications services increased multiple times, and the Azerbaijani space operator became one of the beneficiaries of this demand. Thus, in 2021 Azerkosmos's revenues from commercial satellite operation reached $45.3 million, slightly exceeding the previous year's figures. Unfortunately, January-August 2022 was not as profitable, falling by 44.2%. There are objective reasons behind these temporary difficulties due to some reduction in demand for space services in a number of countries around the world.

Over time, the satellite operator's revenues will begin to grow again thanks to Azerkosmos’s new initiatives and projects to provide satellite solutions based on advanced technologies and developing new services to support local and global initiatives.

In particular, it is worth mentioning the agreements concluded earlier this year with Belgian company SatADSL, which will provide satellite internet services via Azerspace-1. In addition, Italian ground control service provider Leaf Space will have access under a long-term contract to the 3.7-metre S/X-band antenna system installed at Azerkosmos’s ground station. Thus, the company will be able to benefit from a wide range of solutions for processing, transmission of critical information from various satellites, telemetry and control between satellite networks, as well as vehicle monitoring services in space.

For the future

Azerbaijani space agency intends to explore relatively new service markets: in the near future it plans to form an optical network at the ground station and develop laser communications.

It also continues the project on the installation of antennas of the European Geostationary Navigation Service (EGNOS) at the Main Satellite Ground Control Centre in Guzdek, which will, among other things, positively contribute to the development of national aviation, shipping, transportation, agriculture, cartography and navigation.

In the second decade of September, Azerkosmos and the US company Voyager Space signed a memorandum of cooperation, which will enable the partners to share experience and knowledge in order to develop the local space ecosystem. These arrangements ultimately contribute to the creation of an innovative regional space hub in Azerbaijan.

Cooperation between Azerkosmos and the space agencies of Turkey and other member countries of the Organisation of Turkic States is seen as equally promising. In particular, the Azerbaijan Space Agency and the Turkish Space Agency signed a memorandum of understanding in September. The intention is to strengthen cooperation in technology development and Earth observation, expand the exchange of experience in space commerce, educational initiatives and scientific research, and jointly participate in international space projects.

In general, cooperation in the space industry with the relevant bodies of Turkic states is carried out under a long-term target document, Vision of the Turkic World 2040.

Central Asian countries are also making some progress towards the future convergence of national space bodies. These processes were underlined at the Space Technology Conference (STC 2022) held in Tashkent on May 10-12, 2022. During the forum Azerkosmos and the Kazakh state company Garysh Sapary JSC signed an agreement on the implementation of projects on the joint development of space and satellite resources.

Following the STC 2022 conference, Azerkosmos also signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Uzbek Space Agency. Baku and Tashkent intend to cooperate in the training and professional development of specialists, implement space technology projects and exchange experience in the implementation and regulation of space monitoring and GIS centres.

A full-scale discussion of space cluster cooperation between the Turkic states (Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and two observers - Hungary and Turkmenistan) is expected to take place during the 74th International Astronautical Congress to be held in Baku.