Aziz, accompanied by Dr. Saleh Al-Athel, president of KASCT, opened a scientific exhibition held on the sidelines of the conference. The participants include companies specialized in space imaging, GIS and various remote-sensing applications. As many as 500 experts from 29 countries are attending the five-day event, which has been sponsored by KACST in collaboration with International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) and Global Sensing Group (GSG). Addressing the gathering, Prince Turki said KACST's plan is eventually to launch a total of 24 low-orbit satellites. Two satellites - Saudisat-A and Saudisat-B - were launched by a Russian rocket from Baikonur in Kazakhstan, while a third communications satellite was placed in orbit with the help of a Russian rocket. Earlier this year, another satellite to track lunar sightings was positioned in a low orbit to relay information on the new moon. "The new satellite is equipped with a camera to take photos of the moon," Prince Turki said, adding that another satellite is designed to collect vital data on weather and oil reserves as well as to monitor movement of vehicles in remote areas. In a separate presentation, Prince Turki, in collaboration with KACST scientists Dr. Abdul Aziz Al-Sugair, Dr. Sami Al-Humaidy and Dr. Muhammed Al-Majid, explained that these low-orbit mini satellites would relay data which could be used by government agencies for urban planning and other economic development programs. Saudi Arabia is the second Arab country after Egypt to launch satellites.
