Uzbekistan's satellite Samarkand-2028, launched on August 5 in cooperation with the Chinese company STAR.VISION, successfully transmitted its first image of Earth from orbit. This was reported by the press service of the Uzbekistan space agency, Uzbekkosmos, noting that the picture was received several hours after the launch.
The obtained image shows Athens, the capital of Greece. The satellite launch took place on August 5 from the Hayan spaceport located in China, in the Yellow Sea. The launch process was broadcast live on the official Uzbekkosmos YouTube channel.
The Samarkand-2028 satellite is equipped with an artificial intelligence module developed by Uzbekkosmos specialists. This module is designed to process hyperspectral data directly in orbit.
Uzbekistan, in collaboration with the Chinese company STAR.VISION, successfully placed the hyperspectral Earth remote sensing satellite Samarkand-2028 into orbit. The launch took place on August 5, 2026, from the Haiyang spaceport in China.
This satellite was developed by STAR.VISION with the participation of the Uzbekcosmos agency. The agency noted that this 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 satellites. Unlike ordinary spacecraft, it is capable of analyzing radiation reflected from the Earth's surface in more than 20 spectral bands. This allows for detailed information gathering on the state of agricultural crops, water and natural resources, the environment, as well as tracking changes in land use.
A key feature of the satellite is the artificial intelligence module developed by Uzbekcosmos specialists. It is designed to process some of the satellite's data onboard before transmitting it to Earth. According to the agency, this will reduce the volume of transmitted information, speed up the acquisition of necessary data, and increase the efficiency of subsequent analysis.
The data received from the satellite is planned to be used in agriculture, water resource management, environmental and natural resource monitoring, early detection of emergencies, urban planning, and rational land use. The project is also considered a technological base for training national specialists in space engineering, artificial intelligence, and satellite data processing.
The name Samarkand-2028 is related to the fact that the 79th International Astronautical Congress will be held in Samarkand in 2028. The decision to host the forum in Uzbekistan was made in 2025 at the International Astronautical Congress in Sydney.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan, the Chinese company STAR.VISION intends to launch the hyperspectral satellites Samarkand-2028 and Lampung-1 on August 5, 2026. The launch will take place from an offshore launch platform near the coast of Shandong province in China.
The Ministry noted that the Samarkand-2028 satellite is a practical result of strategic cooperation between the Uzbekcosmos agency and STAR.VISION, which was implemented under a signed memorandum.
The spacecraft received the name Samarkand-2028 in honor of the decision to hold the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Samarkand in 2028. This decision was made at the congress held in Sydney, Australia.
As part of this project, Uzbekcosmos specialists developed an artificial intelligence module for the satellite's onboard system. This module will process hyperspectral data directly in orbit, which is expected to increase the efficiency of Earth remote sensing.
The data obtained by the satellite is intended for use in agriculture, environmental monitoring, natural resource tracking, and other fields.
According to the Ministry of Digital Technologies, the rocket is already aboard the offshore launch platform and heading to the launch site. Preliminary work continues according to the approved schedule.
The Samarkand-2028 satellite project was presented to the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, in December 2025. At that time, it was reported that the spacecraft would be used to assess air quality, monitor agricultural lands, and control forest conditions.
