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.
