Glavkosmos, a Russian state-owned satellite company, has thrown its hat in the ring for designing, building and launching Bangladesh’s second satellite, which the government plans to send into orbit by 2023.
Six senior aeronautical engineers from Glavkosmos led by its deputy director general Vitaly Safonov are now visiting Dhaka following request from the telecom division to learn about Bangladesh’s requirements for Bangabandhu-2.
Glavkosmos will then conduct a feasibility study to give an idea of the perfect location of the orbital space and technological status, Telecom Minister Mustafa Jabbar told The Daily Star yesterday.
The feasibility study will also give an estimate of the amount needed to launch Bangabandhu-2.
The Glavkosmos team, which is being accompanied by Russian Ambassador to Bangaldesh Alexander Ignatov, yesterday sat for its first meeting at Jabbar’s office.
Bangladesh Communication Satellite Company (BCSCL) Chairman Shahjahan Mahmood, Telecom Secretary Ashoke Kumar Biswas and Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission Chairman Md Jahurul Haque were also present at the meeting.
“Actually, their meeting with me was an ice-breaking session. They have briefed us about the different kinds of satellites and we just told them we now have at least some experience about satellites and we want the second one to have an orbital position near our country,” Jabbar said.
The Bangabandhu-1’s position is far from Bangladesh, due to which the country cannot get full use of the satellite.
“It is was a geostationary one and the country does not need another of the same kind,” Jabbar said.
The country’s first communications satellite, Bangabandhu-1, was designed and built by Thales Alenia Space, a Franco-Italian aerospace manufacturer. It was launched into space from Florida on May 11 last year.
All local television channels are now broadcasting via the satellite, taking up about 40 percent of Bangabandhu-1’s capacity. Meanwhile, France has also expressed its interest in financing the second satellite.
Jabbar said the government had an election promise to launch a second satellite and by 2023 they want this satellite to at least take shape for launch.
A senior official of BCSCL said they are close to appointing a consultant for the second satellite and the consultant would maintain contact with Glavkosmos.
Glavkosmos has invited senior officials from Bangladesh to visit Russia to oversee their satellite business.
Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/russian-company-keen-building-second-satellite-1820419