Bangabandhu satellite to be launched May 10, says BTRC chief

After several rounds of delays, the launch of the Bangabandhu satellite has been set for May 10.

If weather permits and there are no “technical hiccups”, the satellite will be launched on Thursday, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission Chairman Shahjahan Mahmood, told bdnews24.com on Monday before flying off to Florida.

“Tests for the Bangabandhu satellite’s launch have been completed,” he said.

“Everything seems to be ready. SpaceX has assured us that it will be launched on May 10, at 4am (Eastern Standard Time).”

But the BTRC chairman noted that space launches had previously been postponed at the last minute.

“At lot depends on, first, weather and then technical issues.”

“There have been instances that the launch has been aborted even in the last phase of the countdown,” Mahmood said. “It could even be like this 10, 9, 8, 7, 5, abort ...”

Mahmood is scheduled to leave for Florida Monday evening.

The Bangabandhu satellite, Bangladesh’s first, received the green light at a cabinet meeting in 2015. BTRC signed a loan deal worth Tk 20 billion with Thales Group to buy 'satellite systems.'

It signed a Tk 4 billion loan deal with HSBC in September last year to send the satellite into orbit.

The satellite is expected to save Tk 14 million a year that is currently spent on renting foreign satellites.

The satellite will contain 40 transponders; Bangladesh will use 20 and rent out the rest.

The two ground stations that will control the satellite will be built at Gazipur's Joydebpur and Rangamati's Betbunia on the land owned by Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Ltd.

 

The ground stations for the satellite have been built at Gazipur’s Joydebpur and Rangamati’s Betbunia.