Uzbekistan Approves Plan to Create a Joint Satellite for OTS Countries

The fifth meeting of the heads of space agencies of the member states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) has concluded in Tashkent. The main item on the agenda was the initiative to develop and launch a joint technological satellite into orbit.

The implementation of the project will require deep integration of the scientific and technical capabilities of Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkey. The cooperation is not limited to the assembly and launch of the device. It is also planned to carry out a full transfer of technologies, conduct joint scientific research, and exchange experience in training specialists.

The planned space device will serve as a unified platform for solving applied tasks of state importance. The primary focus will be on the Earth observation (remote sensing) system. This will enable the participating countries to optimize the monitoring of agricultural lands, water resource management, and environmental control. Furthermore, participants discussed integrating satellite data into emergency prevention mechanisms and improving the accuracy of predictive analytics based on geographic information systems (GIS) and Big Data.

Currently, the global space industry exceeds 500 billion dollars, and this market continues to grow steadily. In such macroeconomic conditions, joining efforts is a highly strategic step. Sharing the financial costs of expensive scientific developments allows regional states to maintain competitiveness and comply with global technological standards. The meeting protocol specifically emphasized the need to attract private capital and increase human resource potential, as long-term development of the sector is impossible without these factors.

To date, OTS member states have established a solid foundation in the aerospace sector. Kazakhstan and Turkey have experience in launching their own remote sensing satellites, Azerbaijan is actively expanding orbital telecommunication services, and Uzbekistan is successfully implementing space-based monitoring methods for accounting and distributing internal resources.