Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan collaborate on Earth remote sensing system

At the International Congress of Astronautics in Milan, a delegation from Uzbekcosmos engaged in numerous discussions with international partners, including SpaceX, Surrey Satellite Technology, and Ispace.

These meetings focused on exploring key recommendations and mutually beneficial proposals for establishing a national Earth remote sensing system in collaboration with Azerbaijan's space agency, Azercosmos, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Both SpaceX from the United States and Surrey Satellite Technology from the UK expressed their willingness to offer expert guidance in advancing Uzbekistan’s national space program.

During the congress, the delegation conducted over 30 meetings, culminating in a significant memorandum of understanding signed with the Japanese company Ispace, which specializes in lunar exploration using robotic spacecraft and advanced technologies.

Additionally, an agreement was made with Kyushu University in Japan to develop a curriculum aimed at training specialists in aerospace engineering.

Azercosmos is Azerbaijan’s primary satellite operator and the first of its kind in the Caucasus region.

It offers satellite imagery and geoinformation services and is also a significant exporter of satellite services. In 2020, Azercosmos exported satellite services to 30 countries.

From January to November 2023, satellite services were exported to 48 countries. The top five countries for exported services in 2023 were the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, the UAE, Germany, and Nigeria.

On January 12, 2024, Azerbaijan registered its own orbital position at 46° east longitude. The management of the C and Ku frequency bands utilized by the Azerspace-1 satellite was registered and transferred to Azerbaijan from Malaysia. This marks Azerbaijan's first and only orbital position as of January 12, 2024.

Plans are underway for the launch of the Azersky-2 satellite in 2026, along with the deployment of Azersky 2A and Azersky 2B satellites into orbit.

On April 5, 2024, the company unveiled a platform for monitoring climate change from space, the first of its kind in Azerbaijan.

During the 29th UN Climate Change Conference (2024) scheduled for November in Baku, a summit of space agencies will be organized with the involvement of Azercosmos.

By Tamilla Hasanova