‘Bangabandhu-1’ satellite set for midnight launch

BTV to telecast liftoff live

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FE Team | Published: May 09, 2018 23:47:09

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Bangabandhu-1, country's first commercial satellite, will be launched between 2:12 am and 4:22 am early May 11 (Bangladesh time), report agencies.
Private space flight and technology company SpaceX has fixed the launch date for Bangladesh's first satellite, Kennedy Space Centre said in a statement.
State-owned Bangladesh Television (BTV) has taken initiative to telecast the launching of Bangabandhu-1.
"Bangladesh Television will be telecasting the launching of the country's first and lone satellite Bangabandhu-1 using Live Streaming technology through an IPTV from Florida," S.M. Haroon-or-Rashid, Director General, BTV told the news agency on Wednesday.
This historic event can also be watched live on different YouTube channels as well as Facebook.
The satellite will be borne by a block 5 version of Falcon-9 rocket and launched into geostationary transfer orbit. . Static fire tests for the rocket have been done on May 4 in Kennedy Space Centre.
State Minister for Information Tarana Halim, State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak and Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission Chairman Shahjahan Mahmood flew off to Florida to witness the launch of Bangabandhu-1.
The satellite weighing 3,500kg, will be launched from the historical launch complex 39-A in Kennedy Space Centre; the one that was used to launch Apollo 11 to its mission to the Moon.