Uzbekistan has taken a major step toward expanding its presence in space, officially presenting a new Earth remote sensing satellite and outlining plans to select the country’s first national cosmonaut.

Authorities showcased two satellite models to the country’s leadership, demonstrating the spacecraft’s structure, payload systems, solar panels, and its projected operation in orbit, The Caspian Post reports via Uzbek media.

Deputy Director of the Uzbek Space Research and Technology Agency Mukhiddin Ibragimov said that the satellite is being developed by Uzbek specialists currently undergoing training at Kyushu University in Japan.

The project highlights Uzbekistan’s ambitions to strengthen its technological and scientific capacity, particularly in satellite-based Earth monitoring, which can support agriculture, environmental protection, urban planning, and disaster management.

Officials also revealed plans to launch a nationwide competitive selection process to choose Uzbekistan’s first cosmonaut. Ibragimov emphasized that the requirements will be rigorous, covering physical health, education level, and foreign language proficiency.

“The future cosmonaut could be either a student or an established professional,” he noted, pointing to international examples such as Hungary’s doctor-astronaut and Saudi Arabia’s rocket scientist who flew to space.

Becoming the first national cosmonaut of the “New Uzbekistan,” officials said, would be a historic milestone - one that would leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.