Space agencies from the member states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) have signed an agreement establishing a common framework for joint space projects, including the 12U OTS-SAT CubeSat.
The cooperation agreement was signed on October 6 at the 77th International Astronautical Congress in Antalya, according to Vesti Baku, citing Azerbaijan’s space agency Azercosmos.
The document is intended to place cooperation among the OTS countries on a more systematic and practical footing by pooling the participants’ technical capabilities, expertise and resources and by creating a shared platform for new initiatives.
What is known about OTS-SAT
The central joint project is the 12U OTS-SAT CubeSat. The participating countries plan to develop, manufacture and place the satellite into orbit together.
Data from the satellite is expected to support agriculture, environmental and climate monitoring, natural-resource management and natural-disaster risk assessment.
The project has been in preparation for several years. At a technical meeting in Astana on September 8, the parties reviewed the remaining stages, including the propulsion system, satellite integration, frequency coordination, authorization procedures and the distribution of launch costs. The Organization of Turkic States said at the time that participants were working to complete the project and strengthen long-term cooperation in space technologies.
No launch date was announced with the signing of the agreement.
Source: Vesti Baku