Armenia plans to launch at least 3 satellites - Pashinyan

YEREVAN. Sept 10 (Interfax) - Armenia intends to launch at least three satellites under a government program to develop aeronautics in 2026-2031, the country's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.

"Armenia intends to launch at least three satellites: two for Earth observation and one for telecommunications, simultaneously developing its own ground infrastructure and domestic capacity for satellite control and data reception, processing and analysis. We also plan to create a distributed network of ground control stations to service not only Armenia's national needs but to also maintain international space missions and the growing demand for satellite data and services," Pashinyan said at an International Space Summit in Paris on Thursday.

"Armenia wants to be involved more actively in international space programs, giving Armenian engineers and companies an opportunity to make their contribution to the design, engineering and manufacturing of sophisticated systems and equipment for space research," Pashinyan said.

"At the same time, Armenia's 2026-2030 strategic scientific development program identifies space and aerospace technologies, among other things, as a strategic priority. This includes Earth observation, satellite communication, awareness about an outer-space situation, navigation technologies and other emerging spheres," he said.

The global space economic expansion should come with a wider access to advantages, while countries with developing space possibilities should be able to participate not only as technology and data users, but also, increasingly, as parties facilitating research, innovation and technological development, he said.

In 2022, Armenia produced its first satellite, ARMSAT-1, based on European technologies and put in orbit by SpaceX, Pashinyan said. "Just a year later, we reached another milestone: HAYASAT-1, the first Armenian satellite fully assembled and tested by Armenian specialists," he said.