Artistic rendition of the PakSat-1R satellite.
“It is a symbol of Pakistan-China cooperation in the area of space science and technology. It is the first of the kind to be launched by China and Pakistan. Therefore, it establishes a new platform, and it marks a new beginning” said Ambassador Khan in an interview with China News Agency on the occasion of launch of PakSat-1R from China. The use of satellite would bring direct benefits to Pakistan’s economy, Khan said adding that it would refine and enhance country’s capabilities for the use of broadband Internet, digital broadcasting, mobile telephony, and disaster prevention and management. All these capabilities will enable Pakistan to focus more sharply on social development, especially on education and health sectors, he said.
The Pakistan Communication Satellite—PakSat-1R—is due to be launched in space from Chinese satellite launching site located at Xichang City during the second week of current month, depending on weather conditions. It will replace Paksat-1. The launching of the satellite coincides with the celebrations of 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China.
Masood Khan said Pakistan and China are moving into the higher stages of aerospace cooperation. Remote sensing satellite is one such area. This satellite will cover crop monitoring, weather forecasting, urban planning, disaster preparedness and response, earth observation, and oceanography. These applications will have a direct impact on agriculture, industry and services sectors of Pakistan, vital for economy. Ambassador Khan said last year Pakistan was hit by massive floods which caused large scale devastation across the country. It was at that time that the country fully realized the importance of a remote sensing satellite. In the long term, he said we also want to cooperate with China on satellite designs to develop Pakistan’s indigenous capability. (Source: Assocated Press of Pakistan)