KazSat-2 to be operable starting from late 2011

Kazakhstan’s communications satellite KazSat-2 will be operable starting from late 2011, KazTag Agency quoted Meirbek Moldabekov, Vice Chairman of the National Space Agency KazKosmos, as saying. Late August the satellite launched July 16, 2011 reached its orbital position. “Following the flight testing, the onboard transmitting equipment will be tested in collaboration with on-land communications carriers”, Moldabekov said, elaborating that the testing “will take at least 2 months”. “Should the testing be completed successfully, the payload could be used (…) Then we will be working with communications carriers willing to exploit the satellite capacities”, he said. Moldabekov reminded that “the investments to build and launch KazSat-2 will be recouped in 4 years’ time, if it is exploited at 80% of the capacities”. KazSat 2 is a Kazakh communication satellite designed by Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. It features 12 Ku-band transponders for fixed communications and 4 Ku-band transponders for TV-transmissions and is intended for telecast, fixed satellite communication and data transmission for Kazakhstan and Central Asia. The unit weighs 1,330 kg, its service life is 12 years. It was to supplement the KazSat 1 satellite, but will now replace Kazsat 1 due to the complete loss of the first satellite.