Bangabandhu satellite "will ensure national security"

As Bangladesh is poised to launch its first telecommunications satellite, the country's Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister speaks to SBS Bangla about its importance.

Bangabandhu satellite set for Friday launch. Source: Twitter/@kateperez

Bangladesh's first commercial satellite, Bangabandhu Satellite-1 is to be launched on Bangladesh time early May 11, in-between 2:12 to 4:22 am from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 

It will make Bangladesh the 57th satellite capable country.

“The Bangabandhu Satellite is the symbol of economic success. From now on my country's money will remain in the country. As well as it will ensure national security," said Mustafa Jabbar, the country's Post, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister.

The launch window opens at 4:12 p.m. EDT, or 20:12 UTC, and closes at 6:22 p.m. EDT, or 22:22 UTC. Bangabandhu Satellite-1 will be deployed into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) approximately 33 minutes after launch.

Mustafa Jabbar, who's currently in Japan, told SBS Bangla:  "Now it's our national asset. This is not a loss project. We will get rid of the satellite cost." 

Post, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Mustafa Jabbar. Source: Facebook

It had previously been scheduled to be launched from Florida's Cape Canaveral on Monday 7th May on SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket.

The satellite, weighing 3.7 tons, was built in France at the Thales Elinya Space Facility. According to Thales, the satellite will reduce Bangladesh's digital divide by providing broadcast and communications services to rural areas, including direct-to-home TV broadcasting across the country and in surrounding regions. 

After construction and testing, it was sent to Cape Canaveral on a special cargo plane reaching the launch pad in Florida on March 30.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off on Wednesday, April 18, 2018, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, USA. Source: AAP

There will be 40 transponders on the Bangabandhu satellite, 20 of which will be kept for use by Bangladesh, and the rest will be rented out to private companies. To control and monitor the satellite, a ground station has been set up in Joydebpur in Gazipur district and at Batbunia in Rangamati.

The total cost of implementation of this project is Tk 2,990 crore. Of this, Tk 1,544 crore has been contributed by a  government fund. HSBC Bank has also loaned Tk 1,358 crore.

Telecommunications and Information Technology minister Mustafa Jabbaralso says that there is talk already about Bangabandhu Satellite-2.