Just a day after India and US launched their maiden space collaboration NISAR, Pakistan followed the move by sending a satellite into the space from China. Islamabad on Thursday (July 31) announced the launch of its remote sensing satellite – Satellite-01 (PRSS-01) with China’s help.
The satellite was launched aboard a Kuaizhou-1A carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre, situated in the south-western province of Sichuan. It promptly reached its designated orbit, with mission controllers confirming that all systems were functioning as intended.
According to a report in Pakistan’s biggest daily national news organisation Dawn, satellite Kuaizhou-1A has into the decided orbit.
Pakistan-China space collaboration: What is the purpose of the satellite?
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has claimed that the satellite would provide Islamabad with continuous, high-resolution imaging capabilities. Furthermore, it would facilitate monitoring of critical initiatives, such as the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
“This marks a significant breakthrough for Pakistan in the field of space technology. The satellite will enable the surveillance of numerous sectors, including urban planning, infrastructure development, disaster response, agriculture, food security, environmental conservation, and water resource management.”
Developed by Pakistan’s national space agency, SUPARCO, in partnership with the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) and MICROSAT China, the satellite constitutes a foundational element of an integrated Earth observation system.
SUPARCO – Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission – has declared that the newly launched Remote Sensing Satellite represents a significant milestone in Pakistan’s space exploration journey and would enhance its Earth observation capabilities considerably.
Is this a shift in space synergies?
Coming just a day after India’s launch of NISAR earth observation satellite (made by ISRO-NASA’s joint effort), Pakistan’s launch in collaboration with China definitely raises some eyebrows. Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif has stated that the achievement showcases the soaring heights of Pakistan-China cooperation, extending beyond borders and into outer space.
A day prior to that, US space agency NASA called NISAR “a critical part of the United States – India civil-space cooperation highlighted by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi earlier this year, the satellite can detect the movement of land and ice surfaces down to the centimeter.”