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The
BulgariaSat-1 satellite, which will provide television and
communication services to Europe and North Africa, was launched
by SpaceX from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 1910
GMT on Friday.
The satellite could be also used in force majeure situations -
accidents due to natural disasters - such as earthquakes, storms
and floods when land-based networks are not operational.
"When we started this space project more than 10 years ago, we
clearly knew that what was need to complete it successfully was
patience, commitment and a strong team," said Maxim Zayakov, CEO
of Bulgaria Sat and Bulsatcom.
"We launched our BulgariaSat-1, we stepped up a as one of the
leading space nations in Europe and opened the path for the
development of the related Bulgarian high-tech sectors and
talented specialists."
The satellite will be positioned into orbit at 36,000 km (22,000
miles) above the Earth and be operational up to 20 years. Over
the next month, the ground control room will carry out the
necessary tests and settings to make the satellite operationally
ready to broadcast.
Bulsatcom has secured financing for the $235 million project
from the United States' Export-Import Bank and a Deutsche
Bank-led consortium of European banks.
(Reporting by Angel Krasimirov; Editing by Toby Chopra)
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