Kyrgyzstan to launch first satellite from California in early October

September 24, 2026 at 04:41 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Kyrgyzstan will launch its first domestically developed satellite from California in the first week of October. Deputy Prime Minister Erlist Akunbekov inspected the satellite on September 24 at the Kyrgyz Asman facility. The satellite will primarily serve the agricultural sector.

Key Facts

The satellite was developed and assembled in Kyrgyzstan over approximately 2.5 years.
The satellite weighs 5 kg and cost 10-12 million soms.
Ten engineers worked on the satellite at the Lenin plant in Bishkek.
The satellite is equipped with high-resolution cameras and will provide data to the Ministry of Agriculture.
Kazakhstan has allocated 10.4 billion tenge for the KazSat-3R satellite to replace KazSat-3, whose service life ends in 2029.

Satellite Development

The satellite was developed and assembled in Kyrgyzstan for the first time, with the project taking about 2.5 years. The satellite weighs 5 kg and cost 10-12 million soms. It was assembled at the Lenin plant in Bishkek by ten engineers. Director of Kyrgyz Electronics Ilya Cherny stated that the satellite is multifunctional and equipped with high-resolution cameras. Most of the technologies are Russian, and development from scratch would take five to ten years, according to Cherny.

Launch Plans

The satellite is scheduled to launch in the first week of October from California, USA. Preparations for the launch are currently underway. The launch vehicle has not been disclosed. After final preparatory work, the satellite will be sent into space.

Agricultural Applications

Deputy Prime Minister Erlist Akunbekov said the satellite will primarily be used for agricultural development. Satellite data will enable monitoring of crop areas, assessment of emergency consequences, analysis of agricultural land and pastures, early detection of drought, and preliminary yield estimation. The satellite will also track changes in glaciers, water resources, and the environment. Akunbekov noted that satellite imagery will expand forecasting capabilities in agriculture and allow monitoring of frosts and droughts to increase yields.