Pakistan with Chinese assistance is going to launch its first communications satellite, the indigenous (Paksat-1R) is said to be launched on August 14, 2011. The satellite will be launched from the facility, located in China.
Presently Pakistan has leased satellite Paksat-1 in orbit, which is used by broadcasters, telecommunications companies, broadband data transmission and Internet service providers and government agencies. This provides coverage throughout Europe, Africa, Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia. Paksat-1R is designed to replace Paksat-1 in the maintenance of communications services. According to Dr. Mohammad Riaz Suddle, director of the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) Center for Development and satellite, The service life of the satellite will be 15 years, and PakSat-1R will be launched at 38 degrees longitude in the geostationary orbit in the equatorial plane at an altitude of 36000 km above the Earth.
Paksat-1R features:
- Payload communications to facilitate the introduction of new services.
- High Speed Internet.
- Digital TV distribution / dissemination.
- Remote / rural telephony.
- Emergency communications.
- Distance learning and telemedicine.
Contract for the Paksat-1R was signed between SUPARCO and China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) October 15, 2008 in Beijing during the visit of President Asif Ali Zardari to China.
According to an official another remote-sensing satellite, called Pakistan (HSRP) will also be launched shortly.
Pakistan began Badr-1, which was its first satellite digital communications in 1990. It was the first locally advanced Pakistan’s experimental communications satellite digital (Made by SUPARCO).
