Turkic nations launch climate satellite cube

Officials from Turkic states attend a Foreign Affairs Commitee meeting, Baku, Azerbaijan, April 25, 2024. TURKIC states aim to not only monitor the effects of climate change with the cube satellite they will jointly produce but also develop solutions for the resulting issues.

Samaddin Asadov, chairperson of the board of the Azerbaijan Space Agency (Azercosmos), provided information on their space and satellite activities to an AA correspondent.

Discussing the Space Agencies and Relevant Authorities of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) third meeting held within the framework of the Space Technology Conference hosted by the Türkiye Space Agency, Asadov highlighted the joint efforts of Turkic states in developing a cube satellite.

Asadov noted that Azercosmos has supported the project financially and in terms of engineering since its inception.

He emphasized that cube satellites are planned to provide solutions for climate-related issues by providing data on climate problems such as water reservoir management, drought, water levels and salinity using optical sensors. These satellites will contribute data related to issues like carbon dioxide and methane emissions.

Asadov mentioned that both Kazakhstan and Türkiye have proposed offers for cube satellite production, stressing that the critical aspect is not just who will prepare it but the contribution the cube satellite project will make to Turkish states, both financially and technologically.

Asadov also discussed their partnership with Türksat, expressing satisfaction with Türkiye’s space activities and their upcoming participation in the International Space Congress in Antalya in 2026. He mentioned plans to share their experiences from the congress held in Baku last year with Türkiye and highlighted their existing partnerships with Türksat in utilizing each other’s satellites actively, particularly in Africa.