Kazakhstan satellite problem
March 31, 2017
By Chris Forrester
Kazakhstan has been plunged into partial TV darkness with the apparent failure of KazSat-2. A report from BBC Monitoring (March 31st) says that a number of telecommunications operators have stopped working in Kazakhstan due to an emergency situation related to the KazSat-2 space satellite, according to the press service of the Kazakh Ministry of Defence and Aerospace Industries (MDAI.
“An emergency situation related to the KazSat-2 space satellite was [originally] reported at 0822 on 21 March. Thirteen communications operators and television and radio broadcasters in the Republic of Kazakhstan had used the resources of the KazSat-2 space satellite by 31 March. Their work has currently been suspended,” the ministry’s press service said.
Russian-built KazSat-2 is Kazakhstan’s second communications satellite used by many of the country’s telecommunications operators and television broadcasters. It was launched in July 2011 after the similar KazSat-1 communications satellite was lost shortly after going out of control as a result of a computer glitch in 2008.
“Specialists from the republic’s centre of space communications are currently carrying out measures to return the operation of the satellite and the work of networks of communications operators and television and radio broadcasters back to a normal situation as soon as possible,” says the report.
Kazakhstan is also using KazSat-3 telecommunications satellite, which was launched in April 2014. KazSat-3 is also used by telecommunications operators, television broadcasters and providers of high-speed Internet in Kazakhstan and neighbouring countries.
When checked by the BBC Monitoring at 0830 GMT, March 31st, Kazakhstan’s national TV channel Khabar was available via satellite in Tashkent.