10:18,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Ministry of High Tech Industry is dealing with the licensing of companies who are eager to be engaged in space activities, Minister Vahagn Khachaturyan’s advisor Ara Aslanyan told ARMENPRESS.

“This sector is perhaps the most developing one, having the most various applications,” he said. “For example, spaceflights amount to only 5% of the sector. A significant part of space activities finds its application on the surface of the Earth, be it agriculture, border protection, gadget maps and others, the list goes on and on. Engaging in space activities, Armenia seeks to not only meet domestic demand, but also offer services to other countries. For example, if our space activities lead to us obtaining data about Australia’s agriculture, it will turn out that we are rendering space services to the remote continent. Space activities can’t be an affordable luxury, and naturally we will cooperate with significantly experienced countries and companies. I find it worthy to note that with time the costs of space services are decreasing due to technological advancements, and for example the European Space Agency is launching into the orbit devices developed by university students, and this doesn’t require big expenses,” Aslanyan said.

Aslanyan said that the government’s strategy to develop the sector is effective, and that it starts from involving school children. Around 40 school children took part in a camp organized this year. Aslanyan expressed certainty that the children will be very inspired and excited with this project.

“We also have a grant program with a total budget of around 200 million drams. This will enable us to understand the existing potential in Armenia. We already have bids which are surprising in their variety of sectors. We will have the first results in a year,” the minister’s advisor said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan