Kazakhstan is set to invest $22.2 million in the development of a new communications satellite, KazSat-3R, as the Central Asian nation prepares to replace its ageing KazSat-3 spacecraft before it reaches the end of its operational life in 2029.
The funding, approved under a government resolution signed by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, is intended to maintain the country's satellite communications network, which supports television broadcasting, data transmission, mobile communications and internet services across Kazakhstan.
KazSat-3R will replace KazSat-3, which was launched in 2014 and remains a key part of the country's telecommunications infrastructure.
Satellite communications are particularly important in Kazakhstan, the world's ninth-largest country by land area, where remote communities are often beyond the reach of conventional terrestrial networks.
According to the government, the KazSat system serves 19 telecommunications operators and provides television services to more than two million subscribers, underlining its strategic importance for both consumers and businesses.
Kazakhstan plans to award the satellite construction contract by the end of 2026. Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry Minister Zhaslan Madiyev said companies from Russia, China, Türkiye and Finland had submitted bids.
The applicants include Russia's Glavkosmos, China's China Great Wall Industry Corporation and Shanghai Engineering Center for Microsatellites, reflecting strong international competition in a sector dominated by a relatively small number of specialised manufacturers.
The need for a replacement became more pressing after KazSat-3 suffered a power system malfunction in 2023, temporarily disrupting television broadcasting.
Although engineers restored the satellite's operation, the incident exposed the risks associated with ageing orbital infrastructure and reinforced plans to commission a successor before the existing spacecraft reaches the end of its service life.
KazSat-3 was built by Russia's Information Satellite Systems Reshetnev in partnership with an Italian aerospace company and launched into orbit in 2014.
Since then, it has formed the backbone of Kazakhstan's domestic satellite communications network, supporting broadcasters, telecommunications providers and government services.
The KazSat-3R project also reflects Kazakhstan's ambition to strengthen its domestic space industry and reduce dependence on foreign satellite services.
As demand for secure communications and digital connectivity continues to grow, the government sees satellite infrastructure as a key element of the country's telecommunications network.
An agreement between Iran and the U.S. to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is expected "soon," a U.S. official has said. The deal would result in the resum...
A state of emergency was declared in the district of Summerland, British Columbia, early on Saturday as a fast-moving wildfire swept through western C...
Typhoon Dolphin lashed Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture on Saturday, injuring six people, disrupting flights and leaving more than 50,000 buildin...
An agreement between Iran and the U.S. to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is expected "soon," a U.S. official has said. The deal would result in the resumption of commercial shipping through the sea passage and the lifting of an American naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 8th of August, covering the latest developments.
U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz are progressing and suggested an agreement with Iran could be reached “soon”.
U.S. President Donald Trump may have to accept concessions he previously opposed if he wants to secure a deal with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to analysts, as negotiators move closer to a temporary agreement.
A U.S. judge has ordered Meta to pay an additional $567 million over claims that its platforms failed to protect children from online harm.
Glacier coverage in Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul Basin has shrunk by 33.7 per cent over the past 70–90 years, according to an updated glacier inventory by Kyrgyzhydromet. The agency says the pace of glacier retreat has accelerated sharply in recent years.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan remarked upon progress made towards normalising relations between Baku and Yerevan in a phone call on the first anniversary of the Washington peace summit.
Tourists may soon be able to view Kazakhstan’s tourist sites by drone. Officials are planning to trial flights of between five and 30 minutes over landmarks in the country, its Ministry of Transport said.
Kyrgyzstan has introduced mandatory permits for climbers attempting Victory Peak, imposing stricter safety and experience requirements following a series of fatal accidents on one of the world’s most dangerous mountains.
Tashkent has begun work to open the Islam Karimov Memorial Complex to the public as part of plans for a 700-hectare green corridor linking major parks and public spaces across the Uzbek capital.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment