Pakistan Is Going To Launch Its First Communication Satellite On 14th Of August

Pakistan with the help of China is gong to launch its first indigenous communication satellite (Paksat-1R) on August 14, 2011. The satellite will be launched from a facility located in China

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As of now Pakistan has a leased communication satellite named Paksat-1 in orbit which is being used by TV broadcasters, telecom companies, data & broadband Internet service providers and government organisations. It provides coverage across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia.

Paksat-1R is destined to replace Paksat-1 for continuation of communication services.

Dr Mohammad Riaz Suddle, the director of the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission’s (SUPARCO) satellite research and development center, said:

“The satellite’s life span will be 15 years.”

Responding to a question, Dr Suddle said,

“The satellite would be launched at a longitude of 38 degrees in geostationary orbit on the equatorial plane at an altitude of 36,000km above the Earth’s surface.”

Paksat-1R will carry:

• A communications payload to facilitate the introduction of a range of new services.
• Broadband internet.
• Digital TV distribution/broadcasting.
• Remote/rural telephony.
• Emergency communications.
• Tele-education and tele-medicine.

The contract for Paksat-1R was signed between Suparco and China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) on October 15, 2008 in Beijing during President Asif Zardari’s visit to China.

According to an official another satellite named Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite (PRSS) will also be launched in the near future.

Pakistan launched Badr-1, which was its first digital communication satellite, back in 1990. It was Pakistan’s first indigenously developed Digital Communications Experimental satellite (Made by SUPARCO).