Bangabandhu Satellite-1: Bangladesh’s first communication satellite to be launched by SpaceX’s Falcon 9

Bangladesh’s first communication satellite Bangabandhu-1 will be launched by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A. It is designed to provide wide range of broadcast and communication services throughout Bangladesh.

Key Facts

It has been built by Thales Alenia Space, a Franco-Italian aerospace manufacturer. It is named after Bangladesh’s “Father of the Nation”- Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. It will provide citizens of Bangladesh Internet connectivity, phone services, radio, backhaul, direct-to-home (DTH) TV services and other communication related services. It carries total of 40 Ku and C-band transponders with capacity of 1600 megahertz and has predicted life span of 15 years. It will expand Ku-band coverage over all of Bangladesh and its nearby waters including Bay of Bengal, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Philippines and Indonesia.

Significance of satellite

It will make Bangladesh autonomous, in terms of telecommunications and broadcasting services. So far, a majority of Bangladesh’s satellite communications was based on rented transponders from India. It will also provide lot of opportunities in terms of revenue generation.

Month: Current Affairs - May, 2018