Uzbekistan has successfully launched the Samarkand-2028 hyperspectral Earth observation satellite into orbit, marking a major milestone in the country's national space programme and technological cooperation with China.
The satellite was launched on 5 August from a sea-based launch platform off China's Shandong Province in partnership with Chinese aerospace company STAR.VISION. It was launched alongside the Lampung-1 satellite.
According to Uzbekistan's Uzcosmos agency, the mission represents one of the country's largest international space projects to date and opens a new chapter in the development of its domestic space industry.
A key feature of Samarkand-2028 is an onboard artificial intelligence module developed by specialists at Uzcosmos.
The system enables part of the hyperspectral data collected by the satellite to be processed directly in orbit before being transmitted to Earth. This reduces the amount of data sent to ground stations while accelerating analysis and improving operational efficiency.
Unlike conventional Earth observation satellites, Samarkand-2028 captures reflected light across more than 20 spectral bands, allowing it to detect information that is invisible to the human eye.
The satellite's data will be used across a wide range of sectors, including agriculture, water resource management, environmental protection, natural resource monitoring, urban planning and early disaster detection.
Officials say the project will also help train a new generation of Uzbek specialists in satellite engineering, artificial intelligence and space data processing.
According to Farkhod Makhmudkhujaev, head of the AI and Programming Department at Uzcosmos, Samarkand-2028 is expected to remain operational for five to seven years.
During its mission, the satellite will support a wide range of applications, including precision agriculture, environmental protection, water management, urban planning and emergency monitoring, while also helping to develop Uzbekistan's expertise in artificial intelligence and space technologies.
The satellite's name commemorates Samarkand's selection as the host city of the 79th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in 2028, a decision announced during the 2025 congress in Sydney.
The mission forms part of Uzbekistan's broader strategy to expand its presence in the global space sector. The country is also developing its first domestically built 6U CubeSat, a compact research satellite designed for Earth observation and scientific missions, which is expected to launch in 2028 under the name Mirzo Ulugbek.
Officials are also working towards sending Uzbekistan's first national astronaut into space in the future.
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