Government is planning to build satellite development centre infrastructure at Institute of Space Technology (IST) having facilities to develop, test and qualify satellites up to 100 Kg.
The centre will work on the development of the satellite bus as well as payload designs. It will be a hub for all national universities to participate in satellite and payloads design and development.
The centre will also attract international researchers and collaborations with premier international space technology research institutes, official sources said.
Centre of excellence will soon be established at IST for design and development of satellite ground equipment, he said.
Moreover, research park will also be built at the institute where national and international organizations will be invited to get space at nominal rates. He said Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) is developing national level consensus, at the highest forum, for space programs’ funding compatible with the expected outcome.
The basic purpose is to align the pace of space technology endeavours with other countries, he said.
“Need is to formulate long strategy for building a fleet of geostationary satellites with advanced payloads, such as utilisation of Ka frequency band, regenerative transponders and co-location, for creating hot spots.”
Ministry plans to develop space launch vehicles for LEO and GSO satellites, official sources told. He said setting-up institutional linkages of MoST with Pakistan Space and Upper Research Commission (SUPARCO) and IST is the harbinger of prosperity, self reliance, strategic dominance and economic vitality.
In terms of revenues, official said, satellite services and satellite ground equipment earn most of the revenue, followed by Satellite manufacturing and satellite launch industry, adding these segments are considered as strategic assets.
“Overall space industry is a commercially viable business, if all its segments are properly focused in a balanced manner.”
He said Pakistan has to enhance its space technology significantly in order to preserve its security, and to meet environmental, communications and commercial requirements. The establishment of IST in 2002 was a major step towards self reliance in space technology and human capital development, he said, adding funding of both SUPARCO and IST must be enhanced to preserve national interests.