DHAKA: Bangabandhu-I, the first commercial satellite of the country, has reached its orbital slot on 119.1 degrees on Tuesday (May 22), on the eleventh day after its launch.  

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ICT Affairs Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy informed about it on his Facebook page early on Wednesday (May 23).

“BS-1 has now reached its final destination-over Bangladesh. All systems of the satellite are working properly. Joy Bangla! Joy Bangabandhu!,” he wrote. 

On May 11, the BS-I was successfully launched from Florida of United States at 16:14 local time (02:14am BST).

Falcon 9, the finest rocket of American firm SpaceX, started to carry the satellite to the orbit from the Cape Canaveral launching pad.

The two ground stations, set up in Joydevpur of Gazipur and Betbunia of Rangmati, are monitoring the satellite for 24 hours. 

The total expenditure on Bangabandhu satellite was about Tk 2,765 crore. Bangladesh government financed Tk 1000 crore while the rest was provided by foreign aids.

BDST: 1031 HRS, MAY 23, 2018

AH/SMS