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Cargo Spacecraft Heads for Space Station in First Baikonur Launch of 2025

Three tons of food, fuel and other supplies are on their way to the International Space Station after a Russian spacecraft lifted off on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It was the first launch from the space facility this year. The Roscosmos Progress MS-30 cargo spacecraft, which is unpiloted, was launched early Friday and the trip to the station will take about two days. NASA refers to the space freighter as Progress 91 because it’s the 91st Russian resupply craft to launch in support of the International Space Station since its construction began in 1998. The Progress spacecraft will deliver equipment for scientific experiments, clothing and hygenic items for the crew, potable water, refueling propellant and nitrogen to replenish the atmosphere aboard the station, Russia’s state news agency Tass reported. It said the spacecraft is also carrying a new spacesuit, the Orlan-ISS No. 6, for the spacewalks of Russian cosmonauts. “Currently, Russian cosmonauts use Orlan-ISS No. 4 and Orlan-ISS No. 5 spacesuits for extravehicular activity outside the space station,” Tass said. On the X platform, space journalist Anatoly Zak posted a photograph of what he said was a “rare view” of the Orlan spacesuit being loaded onto the spacecraft before launch. There are three Russians and four Americans on the space station at this time. NASA and Roscosmos have a “cross-flights” deal involving travel to and from the station for three Russian cosmonauts on the U.S. Crew Dragon spacecraft and three U.S. astronauts on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. The joint missions have been one of the rare areas of collaboration between Russia and the United States during the Ukraine war. “Delivery!” NASA declared after the launch on Friday. The U.S. space agency provided launch coverage on various platforms and will do the same for the arrival and docking of the Russian spacecraft at the station. Docking is scheduled at 6:03 p.m. EST on Saturday. “The Progress 91 spacecraft will remain docked to the space station for approximately six months before departing for re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere to dispose of trash loaded by the crew,” NASA said.

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Uzbek Artifacts from Italian Museums and Private Collections to be Exhibited in Tashkent

A collection of Uzbek cultural heritage masterpieces housed in Italian museums and private collections will be showcased at an upcoming exhibition in Tashkent. The event coincides with the opening of the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan. As part of the preparations, a delegation from the Center for Islamic Civilization, led by its director Firdavs Abdukhalikov, visited Italy in mid-February. During the visit, negotiations were held with representatives of several museums and private collectors, who expressed support for the international exhibition. Over the centuries, Uzbek artifacts have become part of prestigious museum and private collections worldwide. “Collections of Uzbek relics housed in Italian museums were published in the 35th volume of the multimedia project Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan in the Collections of the World. This initiative, supported by the state and business sector, has already resulted in the publication of 80 volumes documenting Uzbek cultural monuments abroad,” said Elmira Gul, the project’s scientific coordinator. Several renowned Italian institutions have contributed artifacts to the exhibition, including: University of Bologna Library - home to a Hebrew manuscript by Abu Ali ibn Sina (Avicenna). Giuseppe Tucci National Museum of Oriental Art (Rome). Museum of Asian Art (Turin). Stibbert Museum (Florence). Mudec Museum of Cultures (Milan). Antonio Ratti Textile Foundation (Como). Private collection of Milanese collectors Alberto and Anna Levi. According to the Center for Islamic Civilization, the exhibition will feature Afrasiab ceramics with epigraphic inscriptions, Medieval metalwork from Khorasan and Maverannahr, including a legendary bowl of the Karakhanid rulers, and Uzbek textile masterpieces from the 19th and early 20th centuries. This exhibition marks a significant step in promoting Uzbekistan’s rich cultural history on the international stage.

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Kyrgyzstan Develops New Ala-Too Sheep Breed

Kyrgyzstan has officially approved a patent for the new Ala-Too sheep breed, a meat-producing variety developed through selective breeding. The Ala-Too breed is now formally recognized as an independent breeding achievement, paving the way for patenting and potential commercialization. A New High-Value Sheep Breed The Ala-Too sheep was developed by crossing local Kyrgyz sheep with Tajikistan’s Hissar sheep, a well-known meat breed. “The Ala-Too sheep is a new meat-producing breed. A single breeding sheep costs between $5,000 and $10,000, with some specimens fetching up to $30,000,” said Professor Abdugani Abdurasulov of Osh University. Developing artificial breeds is a key priority in scientific research, university officials noted. Earlier, the blood and wool samples of the new breed were sent to Tarim University in China for DNA testing. A History of Sheep Breeding Innovation This is not the first time Kyrgyzstan has successfully developed a new sheep breed. Five years ago, the Arashan breed was registered by the Ministry of Agriculture. It was created by crossing Hissar sheep from Tajikistan with local coarse-wool sheep. Today, Arashan sheep are exported to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, with individual large specimens selling for as much as $60,000 at exhibitions.

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Eagles, Heritage, and History: A Glimpse into Kazakhstan’s Ancient Art of Falconry

Inspired by TCA’s coverage of the 2024 World Nomad Games and the incredible showcase of falconry events, I reflected on a visit to the Sunkar Entertainment Complex near Almaty, Kazakhstan. Established during the Soviet era, the complex was originally designed as a mountain retreat for workers, featuring saunas, horseback riding, skiing, and other snow sports. However, its defining feature today is the bird sanctuary founded in the 1990s to conserve the region's dwindling population of birds of prey. The sanctuary serves as both a conservation effort and an entertainment venue, highlighting the delicate balance between preserving natural heritage and creating an engaging visitor experience. A practice the beginnings of which are shrouded in mystery, many experts trace the origins of falconry back to the steppes of Mongolia, dating between 4000 and 6000 BCE. Bronze Age cave paintings suggest falconry was already established, and a third millennium BCE pottery shard from Tell Chuera, modern-day Syria, depicts a bird of prey. The oldest visuals of falcons, however, are etched into rocks from the Altai Mountains, spanning Central and East Asia, circa 1000 BCE. Finding information on falconry in Europe and the Middle East is easy, but uncovering its ties to Kazakhstan's nomadic traditions proves more challenging. A podcast featuring two generations of a Kazakh family from the Altai Mountains sheds light through oral traditions. This narrative highlights falconry as more than a sport – it's a historical bond between humans and birds of prey, offering profound insights into nomadic heritage. [caption id="attachment_29223" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Hunting with birds at the World Nomad Games, Astana, 2024; image: TCA, Stephen M. Bland[/caption] The Golden Eagle, often called the "Empress of the Sky," holds a divine status in falconry. Renowned for its ability to stare directly at the sun without harm, it's a symbol of freedom and pride for the Kazakh people. The Kazakh language boasts a staggering vocabulary for falconry, exceeding 1,500 unique terms. Its importance is also immortalized on Kazakhstan's national flag, echoing the legacy of Genghis Khan, whose banner also featured an eagle at its center. This speaks to his passion for falconry, a tradition vividly documented by Marco Polo, who described eagle hunting with Khan's grandson as early as the 1100s. The bond between humans and birds was so blurred that in ancient times, a nursing mother could share her milk with golden eagle chicks, even when her own child faced food scarcity. The Siberian golden eagle, or burgut, is among the largest of its kind. The formidable females, favored for hunting, boast wingspans of two meters and talons stretching up to six centimeters. Weighing over six kilograms, these birds demand not just expertise but also exceptional strength and courage from their handlers. Female eagles are traditionally captured before they learn to fly – old enough to survive outside the nest, but still nest-bound. They’re considered larger and more reliable hunters once tamed compared to their smaller, less-predictable male counterparts. Breaking eagles is a foundational skill in falconry, requiring meticulous preparation and...

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Obituary – Young Uzbek Reporter Loved Journalism, but Grew Frustrated: “There’s No Point Anymore.”

Alisher Ruziokhunov, an Uzbek journalist who had worked for Kun.uz and other online news organizations in Uzbekistan, has died of an illness in his early 30s, according to several outlets that used to employ him. In a tribute, a former colleague said Ruziokhunov drifted away from journalism in recent years because he found it difficult to report freely despite government commitments to loosen restrictions on the media. Kun.uz described Ruziokhunov as a talented journalist who wrote hundreds of articles about “the development of the state and society” and started big projects such as the Munozara Club, which “brought together representatives of government institutions for discussions.” Ruziokhunov traveled widely, attending events as a journalist and conference participant. He visited Armenia, Ukraine and Kenya, as well as the U.S.-Mexico border and the Moody College of Communication at The University of Texas at Austin. “Why does journalism mean a lot to me? I believe media and true journalism make our world a better place to live in,” Ruziokhunov said on social media. “Don’t be afraid to stand out among everyone with your thoughts, appearance, or goals,” he said in another post. Despite his talent, passion and growing experience, Ruziokhunov had doubts. Ilyos Safarov, an Uzbek journalist who reported Ruziokhunov’s death in an emotional social media post on Wednesday, said in a later message that his close friend had dropped out of Uzbekistan’s media scene in recent years because he was disillusioned. Safarov said Ruziokhunov preferred to go into education, believing that Uzbek journalism had reached “the limit” because a journalist who published critical commentary could easily face retaliation from people in power. “There’s no point anymore,” Safarov remembered his friend saying. “I often argued against him, challenging his views,” Safarov said. “At times, just to push his buttons, I even accused him of cowardice. But deep down, I knew he was right. And the truth is, today, we really are powerless. Forget about defending others—journalists can’t even protect themselves.” “By now, everyone has realized that the brief period of relative freedom over the past 3-4 years was merely a façade, designed to allow people to criticize the past era more openly,” said Safarov, who works for Vatandosh TV. By past era, he appeared to be referring to the more authoritarian era of Uzbek leader Islam Karimov, who died in 2016. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who took over after Karimov’s death, has periodically spoken in support of freedom of speech, though some journalists and bloggers say they have faced prosecution and intimidation because of their work. The law in Uzbekistan says the spread of false information that leads to the denigration of “a person´s dignity” or threatens “public order or security” can lead to prison sentences; advocates of freedom of expression say such regulations are overly broad and are used to muzzle criticism of the government.

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Tajik Scientist Kholikzoda Wins Gold Medal at International Inventors Forum

Tajik scientist Omina Kholikzoda has won a gold medal at the 15th International Invention Fair of the Middle East, held in Kuwait. Kholikzoda, a researcher at the Ibn Sina Tajik State Medical University's Institute of Fundamental Medicine, was awarded for her discovery, a preparation called Tagetol, derived from the essential oil of small-flowered tagetes, a plant native to Tajikistan. Tagetol has strong hepatoprotective, choleretic, antioxidant, detoxifying, and anti-inflammatory properties. The International Invention Fair of the Middle East, established in 1974, is considered one of the world’s largest platforms for showcasing scientific achievements. This year’s event featured participants from 66 countries, highlighting cutting-edge research and technological advancements. Five scientists from Tajikistan took part in the forum, but it was Kholikzoda’s work that stood out, receiving top recognition from the jury. Kholikzoda’s success at the international level underscores Tajikistan’s growing presence in scientific research and innovation.