ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry Thursday confirmed that the first Pakistani will be sent to space in 2022 and and an approval in this regard had been granted by the federal cabinet.
Addressing a press conference after attending meeting of the federal cabinet, the information minister said that an agreement had been signed to this effect between Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) and their Chinese counterpart.
Earlier in July this year, Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite-1 (PRSS-1) was launched by Pakistan from China’s Jiuquan Satellite Centre.
The PRSS-1 is the first optical remote sensing satellite sold to Pakistan by China, and the 17th satellite developed by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) for an overseas buyer, according to APP.
The 1,200 kg satellite PRSS-1 is operating at an altitude of 640 km. The satellite is helping Pakistan meet its imagery requirements in the areas of land mapping, agriculture classification and assessment, urban and rural planning, environmental monitoring, natural disaster management and water resource management for socio-economic development of the country.
Another flagship satellite, the Pakistan Technology Evaluation Satellite-1A (PakTES-1A), which was indigenously designed and developed by SUPARCO engineers, was also been co-launched with PRSS-1 on the same day.
PakTES-1A is a 285 kilogram satellite equipped with an optical payload commensurate with national needs. It has a design life of three years and will operate at an altitude of 610km.
The launches were the 279th mission of the Long March rocket series.
According to him an agreement between Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) and a Chinese company has already been signed.
