I will go straight into the sky from the start

I will go into the sky from the start

Kyrgyzstan has taken an important step in developing its own space infrastructure by launching its first national satellite into orbit. The launch took place on October 1 from the US Vandenberg Space Force Base in California using a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle. President Sadyr Japarov, who was on a working visit to the United States, personally observed this historic event for the republic.

The spacecraft, weighing about 5 kilograms, was designed and assembled by Kyrgyz specialists from the state enterprise "Kyrgyz Asman". The preparation of the project took approximately 2.5 years. The satellite was sent into low Earth orbit as part of the Transporter-18 rideshare mission, which combined 130 payloads. At the same time, official reports describe the launch as a result of cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the United Arab Emirates.

Kyrgyzstan's first national satellite marks the beginning of a new technological stage, and its results will depend not on the mere fact of the launch, but on the quality of its further operation. With the acquisition of its own satellite, the republic gains a tool capable of changing approaches to studying glaciers, distributing water resources, assessing agricultural land, and monitoring natural processes. This is not about a symbolic presence of the country in space, but about creating a technological infrastructure whose data can potentially be used in virtually all key sectors of the national economy.

The Kyrgyz leader flew to Los Angeles specifically to take part in the historic event for the republic — the launch of the first national satellite. During the trip, Sadyr Japarov also visited the advanced Space manufacturing facility in California. The President was shown the assembly processes of spacecraft, rockets, and satellite systems, the mission control center, rocket stages, and signature spacesuits. Special attention during the visit was paid to demonstrating the operation of the "Starlink" system and the prospects for its development.