The Bangabandhu Satellite-II or BS-2 satellite will be a hybrid satellite designed for communications, weather, military and security purposes according to the head of the Bangladesh Communications Satellite Company Limited (BCSCL).
A consultant is being appointed to determine the feasibility of the second satellite project as per the intended requirements of the stake holders.
The Bangladesh government has received interest from France, China and Russia to build its second satellite.
Bangladesh’s first satellite, the Bangabandhu Satellite 1 or BS-1 was launched by Thales Alenia Space on 11 May 2018 by using a SpaceX rocket from the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A.
The total cost of the satellite project was $248 million. It serves Bangladesh, the Bay of Bengal region, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Eastern Indian states and Indonesia.
The BS-1 provides Ku and C-band coverage to the aforementioned areas. It has the ability to measure population density and can scan the number of people per 1,000 sq km with its advanced array of technologies including cameras.
There are dedicated transponders for the Army, Air Force, Border Guard Bangladesh, Coast Guard and the Bangladesh Navy. Two ground stations in Bangladesh have been built by Thales Alenia Space at Gazipur (main) and Betbunia in Rangamati (backup) to control the BS-1 satellite.
