On May 25, 2022, at 22:35 Yerevan time, the first space satellite of Armenia was launched from the US spaceport at Cape Canaveral by the SpaceX company spacecraft into low Earth orbit. This happened as a result of cooperation between the Armenian state joint-stock company "Geocosmos" and the Spanish company "Satlantis".

The satellite imagery will be used in Armenia for border control, emergency prevention, management, and environmental protection, including climate change monitoring, urban planning, road construction, geology, and more. The satellite will operate for at least 4 years.

Details of the satellite mission and the first results will be presented in Yerevan as part of the Starmus VI festival in September. Starmus is a global festival of science communication and art that brings together the most brilliant minds on the planet to celebrate science communication with world-class scientists, engineers, artists, and astronauts. Their aim is to inspire and educate the next generation of explorers and regenerate the spirit of discovery. Starmus combines art, music and science to enhance the science communication.

In the past, Starmus has hosted several Apollo astronauts (among them Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin), Alexei Leonov and Victor Gorbatko. World known scientists, 25 Nobel prize winners and space explorers have shared their science from the Starmus stage, among them Stephen Hawking, May-Britt Moser, Emmanuelle Charpentier, Elizabeth Blackburn, Donna Strickland, Jill Tarter, Kip Thorne, Robert Wilson, Michel Mayor, Eduard Moser, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Richard Dawkins, Brian Cox, Tony Fadell, and many other giants of science. Stephen Hawking and Alexei Leonov, together with the rock star and astrophysicist Brian May, worked to create the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication, awarded to individuals and teams who have made significant contributions to science communication. Previous Stephen Hawking Medal winners include Elon Musk, Jean-Michel Jarre, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Hans Zimmer and The Particle Fever documentary.