Islamabad/Beijing | Pakistan on Thursday launched a new remote sensing satellite from China's southwest Sichuan province aimed at enhancing Islamabad's capacity to monitor and respond to climate change-related threats.
The Pakistan Remote-Sensing Satellite (PRSS-1) was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre by the Kuaizhou-1A (KZ-1A) carrier rocket, with technical support from Pakistan's Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO).
According to China's state-run Xinhua news agency, the PRSS-1 has entered its planned orbit.
The satellite will be primarily used in the fields of land resource surveys and disaster prevention and mitigation, it said.
“The Satellite is expected to play a critical role in addressing pressing challenges including floods, landslides, glacier melt and deforestation,” according to state-run Radio Pakistan.
Pakistan's Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal hailed the development in a social media post: “Today marks another proud moment for our nation as Pakistan successfully launches its fourth Earth Observation Satellite under the URAAN (flight) Pakistan Space Program from the XiChang Space Centre, China.”
URAAN Pakistan is a transformative initiative designed to advance crucial projects and reforms set forth in the country's national economic transformation plan.
Iqbal also praised SUPARCO's contribution and said the achievement reflects the growing strength of Pakistan–China space cooperation.
“This milestone not only enhances Pakistan's technological capabilities but also takes Pakistan–China Iron Brotherhood beyond the skies,” he added in his post on X.
This is the second Pakistani satellite launched by China this year.
In January, China launched a satellite named PRSC-EO1.
China has been launching satellites for Pakistan for the last few years, broadening the two nations' 'all-weather alliance' into the space arena.
Last year, China launched a multi-mission communication satellite for Pakistan.
In 2018, China sent two Pakistani satellites into orbit. The PRSS-1, Pakistan's first optical remote sensing satellite, and the PakTES-1A, a smaller observation craft.
