Belarus expects the successful launch of its second space satellite. This was stated by Prime Minister Andrei Kobyakov at a meeting with members of the Executive Committee of the Association of Space Flight Participants, as reported by a BELTA correspondent.
Belarus expects the successful launch of its second space satellite. This was stated by Prime Minister Andrei Kobyakov at a meeting with members of the Executive Committee of the Association of Space Flight Participants, as reported by a BELTA correspondent.
"Active work is underway in Belarus on the design of a new Earth remote sensing satellite in cooperation with Russian partners. And we expect that this work will be completed in the near future, and the second Belarusian satellite will be in orbit," said Andrei Kobyakov.
The first Belarusian space satellite was launched in 2012. "Moreover, it is not just our own satellite belonging to Belarus. It was manufactured in our country, and all its target equipment is of Belarusian production," emphasized the Prime Minister.
Belarus has been actively participating in space research for many years. In November 2013, the country was admitted as a member of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. In January 2016, a project to create a national satellite communication and broadcasting system was implemented in Belarus. A launch vehicle with the first Belarusian telecommunication satellite was successfully launched from the Chinese Cosmodrome.
A system for training personnel for the space industry and industries using space information has been created and continues to develop in the country. New specialties in aerospace disciplines have been opened in universities. Belarusian scientists participate in space congresses organized under the auspices of the UN, space agencies of Russia, the USA, China, Japan, and European countries.
Andrei Kobyakov thanked the Executive Committee of the Association of Space Flight Participants for the decision to hold an international space congress in Minsk in September 2018. The head of government expressed readiness to discuss organizational issues related to the preparation of this large-scale event. "We hope that the international space congress in Minsk will contribute to strengthening the international space movement, as well as expanding cooperation in this field," he concluded.
The Association of Spaceflight Participants was founded in 1985 by a group of cosmonauts and astronauts from the USA, the USSR, and several other countries. Membership in the association is open to cosmonauts or astronauts who have completed at least one orbital flight.