ARMENIA LAUNCHES SPACE RECEIVING STATION

Armenian Second TV Channel
April 1 2009

[Presenter] The first and only space receiving station has been
launched in our country today. The 3D data on Armenia that Armenian
specialists have received for the first time have been transferred
to the earth. Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan attended the testing of
the station.

Experts say the information received by the station will be useful
in several sectors. Margarit Sargsyan has the details.

[Correspondent] A chance to see from above at the Institute
of Cartography and Geodesy. This is about comprehensive space
observation. The space receiving station makes it possible to use the
possibilities of satellites as far as 1,000 km above the Earth and
to conduct long-range probing, in other words, to receive accurate
pictures and information that will be transferred by 8GHz frequency
waves.

[Manuk Vardanyan, chairman of the Real Estate Cadastre, addressing
journalists] Surveys with 1m precision will be carried out. You realize
what precision we are talking about. Previously, they were made with
precision of 2m and more. This equipment allows us once a year –
we have 50 minutes that we have agreed with our Russian partner –
and by paying the corresponding fee [as heard], we can watch the
territory of our country for 50 minutes. Besides cartography issues,
it allows us to resolve the economic issues of our country, such as
urban development, environmental, agricultural and special projects.

[Correspondent] The prime minister was briefed on the new capacities of
the centre. They will be useful not only in geodesy and cartography,
but also for the security and defence of the country, in the event of
disasters as well as in the meteorological and scientific sectors. To
be able to use the full capacity of the equipment, our specialists
need to be trained additionally.

[Vardanyan] Under the 2010 state budget, every state agency, including
the Defence Ministry, will be able to get relevant services from the
cadastre for the defence of the country. This equipment will make it
possible to see precise changes in the real time mode, and this will
allow us to change our maps.