After successful launch of communication satellite Paksat-IR, Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) now plans to launch high resolution Remote Sensing Satellite System (RSSS), in 2014, to meet the national and international user requirements in the field of satellite imagery. RSSS will be a progressive and sustainable programme.Initially, SUPARCO plans to launch an optical satellite with payload of 2.5 meter PAN in 700 km sun-synchronous orbit by the end of year 2011, which will be followed by a series of optical and SAR satellites in future.
Giving further details, Secretary SUPARCO Arshad H Siraj said it will be helpful in exploiting the potentials of space technologies for natural resource surveying and environmental monitoring.
RSSS will also be significant in executing application projects of national significance,transfer technology to users in public and private sectors as remote sensing along with its allied technologies has become an industry in itself.
He said SUPARCO is the pioneer in introducing these technologies in Pakistan using Satellite Remote Sensing techniques.
He was of the view that RSSS will also be helpful in improving agriculture of the country,water resources, ennvironment and other such issues.
SUPARCO aims to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country by demonstrating the potential of space technologies for natural resources surveying and environment monitoring, he added.
Pakistan entered the space age with the formal launching of a second hand purchased Paksat-I in January 2003.
“Since then our scientists and engineers had been making endeavours to launch indigenous satellite and ensure country’s permanent presence in the space”.
It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan launched communication satellite Paksat-IR few days back, which has 30 transponders, design life of 15 years and will provide TV broadcasting, Internet and data communications services in South and Central Asia, Eastern Europe, East Africa and the Far East.
Replying to a question, Secretary SUPARCO said, under the vision 2040 of Pakistan’s Space programme, many more satellites will be launched, which will help to improve socio-economic condition of the country.
As far as launch of spaceship is concerned,he said, no such planning is in consideration, and focus is to launch more communication satellites.
