BAKU, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Azerbaijan put its second communications satellite into orbit in the early hours of Wednesday, according to the state-run news agency AZERTAC.

The Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38 spacecraft blasted off aboard the Ariane 5 launcher at 2:38 a.m. local time (2238 GMT, Tuesday) from Guiana Space Center near Kourou in French Guiana.

With a lifespan of at least 15 years, the multi-mission satellite will provide government and network services covering Europe, Central and South Asia, the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa.

In 2009, Azerbaijan adopted a state program aimed at developing its space industry, a year before establishing Azercosmos, the premier satellite operator in the South Caucasus.

Azerspace-1, the nation's first communications satellite, was launched in February 2013. In 2014, Azerbaijan took title to a medium-resolution optical Earth observation satellite under an agreement with Airbus Defense and Space, which saw Azercosmos enter the commercial Earth observation services business.