Argentina's first satellite

Argentina has just joined the geostationary satellite club, which they now share with China, the European Union, India, Israel, Japan, Russia and the United States.

The Buenos Aires Herald reports, Argentina is first country in the region to build and run a geostationary telecom satellite 10/17/2014:

Argentina yesterday became the first Latin American country to build and operate a geostationary satellite, joining a select club of countries with that achievement and marking a seachange in the telecommunications sector for the country and its neighbours. ...

The first in a series of three satellites for the so-called Argentine Geostationary Satellite Telecommunications System, Arsat-1 was developed by state-owned firm Arsat and designed and manufactured by Río Negro province’s INVAP. It will provide television services, Internet access and data and telephone services, for a price tag of US$270 million that includes manufacturing costs from 2006, shipping to French Guiana, launch costs and international insurance.

Rural areas that previously had limited telecommunication coverage will benefit from the satellite’s orbit.

Javier Lewkowicz reports on the successful satellite launch in Al Infinito y más allá Página/12 17.10.2014) "Arsat-1 demandó una inversión de 270 millones de dólares por parte del Estado nacional," he writes ("Arsat-1 required an investment of $270 million on the part of the national government").

President Cristina Fernández claimed the satellite launch as an accomplishment of kirchnerismo, noting that the project stemmed from a decision her late husband and then-President Néstor Kirchner took in 2004. (“Los satélites no se pueden derogar” Página/12 17.10.2014)

The Casa Rosada provides a video of Cristina's statements on the satellite launch, 16 de OCT. Declaraciones de Cristina Fernández tras el lanzamiento del ARSAT-1 16.10.2014:

TV Pública argentina has this series of three video reports on the event from 10/17/2014. They are titled as though there are four installments, but only three seem to be available at this writing on YouTube.

678 - Histórico: Argentina lanzó su primer satélite al espacio - 16-10-14 (1 de 4); this one includes some other news items toward the first:

678 - Histórico: Argentina lanzó su primer satélite al espacio - 16-10-14 (2 de 4):

678 - Histórico: Argentina lanzó su primer satélite al espacio - 16-10-14 (3 de 4):

From Euronews, Argentina launches first satellite 10/17/2014