Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 24, 2026

Azersky

Azersky was an Earth observation satellite with a high-resolution of 1.5 m. It was Azerbaijan's first Earth observation satellite. It was launched into orbit in June 2014.

Last revised
Jul 24, 2026
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Azersky
NamesSPOT 71
Mission typeHigh-resolution earth observation satellite234
OperatorAzercosmos
COSPAR ID2014-034A
SATCAT no.40053Edit this on Wikidata
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerAirbus Defence and Space5
Start of mission
Launch date30 June 20145
RocketPolar Satellite Launch Vehicle5
Launch siteSatish Dhawan Space Centre, India5
End of mission
Declared20 April 20236

Azersky was an Earth observation satellite with a high-resolution234 of 1.5 m. It was Azerbaijan's first Earth observation satellite. It was launched into orbit in June 2014.7

The satellite was originally named SPOT 7 and developed by Airbus Defence and Space as a part of their SPOT series. SPOT 7 was successfully handed over to Azercosmos on December 2, 2014, and renamed as Azersky.891011 The satellite ceased operations in April 2023.6

Details

The satellite had a predicted lifespan 12 years.12

The wide application areas of Azersky satellite include defense, security, emergency situations, exploration of natural resources, maritime, environmental protection, urbanization, mapping, agriculture, tourism and others.131415

It had a resolution of 1.5 m for Panchromatic and 6 m for Multispectral. It had 1 Panchromatic and 4 Multispectral bands (green, blue, red, near-infrared). The image scene had a minimum 60X60 km and a maximum 60X600 km. It orbits at an altitude of 694.9 km. The revisit is 2 days (45°). It is at an inclination of 98.2° (Sun-synchronous). 1

Launch and operation

The agreement between Azerbaijan and France was signed at the 20th Anniversary Azerbaijan International Telecommunications and Information Technologies Exhibition and Conference, Bakutel 2014 with the participation of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.16 By obtaining the first symbolic image from Azersky satellite, the President launched the commercial activity of the satellite. According to the agreement signed between the two parties, Azersky belonging to Azercosmos and SPOT 6 belonging to Airbus Defence and Space will be used in the form of satellite collection.17

End of mission

In April 2023, communication with the satellite was lost.6 Chinese intelligence services could be involved in this incident.18

See also

See also

  • Azerspace-1, Azerbaijan's first satellite (a telecommunications satellite)
  • Azerspace-2, Azerbaijan's third satellite (a telecommunication satellite)
  • Azercosmos, first and only satellite operator in South Caucasus region that operates Azerspace-1, Azerspace-2, and Azersky
References

References

  1. "SPOT-6 and 7 - Satellite Missions - eoPortal Directory". directory.eoportal.org. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
  2. "New satellite control center built in Azerbaijan". Geospatial World. 2017-08-18. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  3. "Three countries to get Azersky satellite imagery". AzerNews.az. 2017-05-24. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  4. "Delta Telecom - National Communication operator". www.delta-telecom.net. Archived from the original on 2021-02-08. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  5. "Earth obseravion".
  6. "Communication with Azerbaijan's satellite was lost". Azernews. April 30, 2023.
  7. "Azercosmos | Iaf". www.iafastro.org. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  8. "Azercosmos to Take Ownership of Airbus' Spot 7 EO Satellite - Via Satellite -". Via Satellite. 2014-12-02. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  9. "History". mincom.gov.az (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  10. "Azerbaijan discloses revenues from operation of its satellites". 2018.
  11. "AzerSky satellite to help monitor agricultural crops in Azerbaijan". AzerNews.az. 2017-11-03. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
  12. "Azercosmos to Take Ownership of Airbus' Spot 7 EO Satellite - Via Satellite -". Via Satellite. 2014-12-02. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
  13. "Delta Telecom - National Communication operator". www.delta-telecom.net. Archived from the original on 2022-05-02. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
  14. Sheldon, John (2018-09-21). "Azerbaijan To Sell Satellite Imagery From AzerSky". SpaceWatch.Global. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
  15. "Azercosmos holds workshop on use of Azersky satellite imagery for defence and security purposes".
  16. "Azercosmos commissions Azersky observation satellite". AzerNews.az. 2014-12-02. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
  17. "Airbus Sells In-orbit Spot 7 Imaging Satellite to Azerbaijan". SpaceNews.com. 2014-12-04. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
  18. "Chine/France • la mystérieuse perte d'un satellite d'Airbus vendu à l'Azerbaïdjan - 12/06/2025". 12 June 2025.