A TV grab shows Es’hail 1 lifting off from the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana. (Picture: Qassim Rahmatullah)
DOHA: History was made as Qatar successfully put its first satellite, Es’hail 1, into the earth’s orbit minutes after midnight (Qatar time) yesterday.
Some 35 minutes earlier, at around 11.30pm, a rocket with a double payload carrying Es’hail 1, blasted off from the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana.
The launch of Es’hail 1 by the carrier rocket Ariane 5 was aired by Qatar Television live.
A 47-member Qatari delegation led by the Telecoms and IT Minister, H E Dr Hessa Al Jaber, watched the launch.
The news of the successful placement of the telecommunications satellite in the orbit some 35 minutes after the blast-off sent cheers among the Qatari delegates. Also present was Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, CEO of Qatar Satellite Company.
Es’hail is ‘Al Suhail’, the name of a star in Arabic and the term is pronounced as Is-suhail or Es’hail’.
Some 25 to 30 Qatari technicians are believably part of the team that would be monitoring and operating the satellite.
Experts told Qatar TV they estimated Es’hail 1 would have cost anywhere between $662m (QR2.41bn) and $1.05bn (QR3.85bn) from preparation, manufacturing and launch.
Another expert told the Qatari TV channel that satellite launches are an expensive and highly risky proposition because a stand-by satellite is kept ready with the one that is being sent into the earth’s orbit as an alternative in case there are technical glitches or problems at the last minute.
Yet another expert said the telecom satellite would help Qatar cut costs as sub-sea telecommunications networks are very expensive compared to telecom services provided through satellites.
“It’s a giant leap forward for Qatar,” said still another expert. The country now possesses satellite technology which is important from all angles, including investment.
An Ooredoo official, asked if the satellite launch would make any difference to telecom service costs that remain high, said: “It would take awhile.”
Es’hail 1 is expected to begin providing services by December this year as until then experiments are to be carried out.
Al Kuwari said earlier in media interviews that they were literally inundated with requests for subscription for use of the satellite services.
He said that has encouraged them to think in terms of launching Es’hail II, work on which is expected to begin in 2014.
People commenting on Aljazeera.com said they were extremely exulted.
“The monopoly of Nilesat ends,” said a commentator.
He was hinting at the recent past when there were disruptions in Aljazeera’s telecast and accusing fingers were raised at Nilesat.
The Peninsula
