Uzbekistan Launches Samarkand-2028 AI Satellite into Orbit
Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan, in cooperation with Chinese company STAR.VISION, has successfully placed the Samarkand-2028 hyperspectral Earth observation satellite into orbit. The launch took place on 5 August 2026 from the Haiyang East spaceport in China.
The satellite was developed by STAR.VISION in collaboration with Uzbekcosmos. The agency noted that the mission marks an important stage in the development of the national space program, the implementation of modern space technologies, and the strengthening of scientific and technical cooperation between Uzbekistan and China.
Samarkand-2028 belongs to the class of hyperspectral Earth observation satellites. Unlike traditional spacecraft, it can analyze radiation reflected from the Earth's surface in more than 20 spectral bands. This enables detailed information on the condition of agricultural crops, water and natural resources, and the environment, as well as tracking changes in land use.
One of the key features of the satellite is an artificial intelligence module developed by specialists at Uzbekcosmos. It is designed to process part of the satellite data directly on board the spacecraft before transmission to Earth. According to the agency, this will reduce the volume of transmitted information, accelerate the receipt of required data, and increase the efficiency of subsequent analysis.
Data received from the satellite is planned for use in agriculture, water resource management, environmental and natural resource monitoring, early emergency detection, urban planning, and rational land use. The project is also viewed as a technological platform for training national specialists in space engineering, artificial intelligence, and satellite data processing.
The name Samarkand-2028 refers to the fact that Samarkand will host the 79th International Astronautical Congress in 2028. The decision to hold the forum in Uzbekistan was made in 2025 at the International Astronautical Congress in Sydney.
