The Satellite is Operational, and Photos Exist: Details on Armenia's Satellite

Georgy Mantashyan, Deputy Minister of High-Tech Industry, and Juan Tomas Hernan, co-founder and CEO of SATLANTIS, provided details about Armenia's first satellite, "ArmSat-1," launched into space. During the press conference, Armenpress inquired about the results of the launch of Armenia's first satellite, asking whether photos were taken and, if so, when they would be published. Mantashyan responded, "The satellite is operational, photos exist, but we do not believe there is currently a need to publicize this information. There are reasons. We know that the satellite is present, we know it is working, and we know that it is executing operations. Those who will work on the project will be informed."

Armenpress also asked whether Armenia is working toward launching cubesats. Mantashyan replied that the Ministry of High-Tech Industry's strategy has not yet been finalized but emphasized that the ministry's priorities are being specified within the framework of STARMUS. "Such projects require conditions; we are obliged to create those conditions for the cubesats and ensure them," Mantashyan noted.

Juan Tomas Hernan, co-founder and CEO of the Spanish company SATLANTIS that specializes in space technologies, mentioned that all that is planned to be executed is a program with long-term operations. "The first step has already been taken, and the satellite has been launched into space. Every week we conduct the planned operations because space activity involves carrying out steps according to a strict timeline. After the first step, we have long-term plans, the next step will be the establishment of a factory for producing Armenian satellites. It is clear that these long-term and large-scale programs must be compatible with the involvement of input data and resources," Hernan stated.

According to the co-founder of SATLANTIS, within the framework of the program, Armenian students will be sent to Spain for training, and collaborative research projects are also being developed for the computational management of satellites from Armenia. "This means we see that there are various initiatives, and the source of all is directly from Armenia, but this is a long-term program, and it requires patience to revive the industry, as although there have been space-related projects and capabilities in optics and electronics in Armenia, the sector has been dormant for some time. It must be revived," Hernan said.

The co-founder mentioned that their decision to come to Armenia and work here stems from a recognition of the potential. "This is a step towards moving from independence to autonomy. This means that the management panels for dispatchers, possibilities for data management, acquisition, and processing, along with operation, will all be situated within Armenia. And this aligns with the government’s policies. The big day, the important day, is not far off," Hernan concluded.