Uzbekistan Plans to Launch Its Own Satellite by 2028
Uzbekistan aims to launch its first scientific and technical satellite into orbit by 2028, according to Mukhiddin Ibragimov, Deputy Director of Uzbekcosmos, in an interview with Kazinform.
To carry out the mission, the country is negotiating with US-based aerospace company SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk.
However, Ibragimov noted that Uzbekistan must consider the global constraints on launch capacity and the pre-reserved windows allocated to other countries.
«Orbital launch dates are usually confirmed two to three years in advance. That’s why it is crucial to sign agreements early and prepare the technical specifications in time,» he said.
As part of the satellite programme, seven Uzbek students enrolled in a master’s programme at the Kyushu Institute of Technology (Japan) in 2024.
«Their task is to design the satellite, assemble it, and prepare it for launch. If their training starts this year, it should finish by 2027. That would allow us to schedule the launch before 2028,» Ibragimov explained.
Previously, officials suggested that the launch could take place under cooperation agreements with member states of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS). In 2023, Uzbekistan joined an international treaty on space exploration, and in 2022, it signed an intergovernmental space cooperation agreement with Kazakhstan.
Kursiv Uzbekistan earlier reported that the Kyushu Institute of Technology will also support Uzbekistan in training aerospace engineers.
