Uzbekistan-China Satellite Project Advances with AI Module

Uzbek engineers are developing an onboard artificial intelligence module for a new Earth observation satellite being built in partnership with a Chinese aerospace company. The satellite, named Samarqand-2028, is being developed under an agreement between Uzbekistan’s national space agency, Uzbekcosmos, and China’s STAR.VISION Aerospace. The Chinese company is developing the satellite itself, while Uzbek specialists are working on an onboard AI system that will help process the information it collects. The spacecraft will use hyperspectral imaging, which can detect features invisible to the human eye. Uzbekcosmos said the satellite could be used to monitor agriculture and the environment, as well as provide information for other parts of the economy. The project could include the creation of national maps showing where cotton and wheat are grown. It remains unclear when the satellite will be launched. It was expected to enter orbit in May 2026, but that target passed without a launch. In its latest update, Uzbekcosmos referred only to an upcoming launch and did not provide a revised date. Samarkand was selected to host the 2028 International Astronautical Congress in October 2025. It will be the first time the event, one of the world’s largest annual gatherings for the space industry, has been held in Central Asia. Hosting the congress will bring international attention to Uzbekistan’s space ambitions. Its longer-term impact, however, will depend on whether projects such as Samarqand-2028 help Uzbek specialists develop skills and build technology that can be used inside the country. The government has identified the space sector as one of the country's emerging high-technology priorities and is using the 2028 congress to showcase those ambitions. As The Times of Central Asia previously reported, Uzbekistan is also preparing to launch its first domestically developed scientific satellite and has begun a program to train the country’s first astronaut.

Kazakhstan Allocates More Than $22 Million for New Communications Satellite

Kazakhstan has begun upgrading its national satellite infrastructure by financing the development of a new communications satellite, KazSat-3R, which is expected to replace the existing KazSat-3 by the end of the decade. The government is also working to expand the country’s Earth-observation satellite network and develop domestic manufacturing capacity. It is also preparing for commercial launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The government has allocated approximately $22.3 million from its reserve for the KazSat-3R project. The new satellite will replace KazSat-3, whose planned service life expires in 2029. Kazakhstan’s national satellite communications system currently consists of two satellites, KazSat-2 and KazSat-3, as well as two ground control centers, Akkol and Kokterek. The system provides television and radio broadcasting, data transmission, telephone services, and internet access across Kazakhstan, Central Asia, and parts of Russia. KazSat-3’s approaching retirement is one reason for its replacement. In 2023, a power-system malfunction temporarily took the satellite out of service, disrupting satellite television broadcasts and exposing Kazakhstan’s dependence on its own orbital infrastructure. In May 2025, Senator Andrey Lukin, chair of the Senate Committee on International Relations, Defense and Security, previously said KazSat-3R could require 40.2 billion tenge, approximately $86 million, in state financing. He also warned that public procurement rules could restrict the participation of foreign satellite manufacturers and called for the project to be handled under a special procedure. The KazSat system is used by 19 telecommunications operators and provides television services to more than two million subscribers, the government said. It supports television and radio broadcasting, as well as data transmission. The system also provides mobile communications and internet access, particularly in remote areas where building ground-based infrastructure is difficult. Government figures indicate that 99% of Kazakhstan’s population has access to high-speed internet. The country’s population stood at 20,5 million on June 1, 2026, the Bureau of National Statistics reported. The new communications satellite is one element of Kazakhstan’s national space program. The country plans to launch three KazEOSat-MR Earth-observation satellites in 2027 to replace KazEOSat-2. Three more satellites are planned for 2029–2030, which would bring the constellation to six. Kazakhstan is also developing its own launch infrastructure. The Baiterek project, implemented with Russia, has modernized a launch complex at the Baikonur Cosmodrome for the Soyuz-5 launch vehicle. The first test launch took place successfully on April 30, 2026. The government said the test confirmed the complex’s operational readiness. The cost of a commercial Soyuz-5 launch is estimated at between $50 million and $60 million, depending on the rocket configuration and upper stage. By comparison, a commercial launch of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is priced at approximately $67 million. Kazakh authorities expect this cost structure to allow the project to compete in the international launch-services market. Kazakhstan is also considering satellite exports as a potential area of commercial growth. Domestic companies are exploring projects to manufacture satellites for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mongolia, and Nigeria, with a combined potential value estimated at approximately $75 million. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia,...