Turkmenistan organises National Space Agency

ASHGABAT, May 31 (Itar-Tass) -- Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly
Berdimuhamedov signed on Monday an order on organisation of a National
Space Agency to implement scientific achievements in the country's economy
and to establish space activities, the national television reported.
The agency will "control the orbit, establish satellite
communications, organise space scientific research and operate the
satellite from the territory of Turkmenistan," the order reads.
Back in 2009, Berdimuhamedov voiced an order to the government to
provide the country with a national communications satellite.
"Own satellite will speed up development in the country of
communications and the Internet, television, it will favour implementation
of ecology programmes, improve prospecting of mineral deposits and
successful implementation of other state programmes," he said.
In mid May, Vice President of the US' SpaceX Christophe Bauer told the
fifth Turkmenistan-America business forum that in 2014 his company would
launch a space satellite for Turkmenistan.
Nowadays, Russia's Yamal satellite serves Turkmenistan's digital
television and broadcasts Russian television to Turkmenistan's territory.