- Satellite launched from China’s Xichang system.
- Fifth Pakistani satellite, now active in orbit.
- Ahsan Iqbal Roses Suparco, China’s support.
Karachi: Pakistan has successfully launched its latest remote satellite in space from China’s Xichang Satellite Launch Center (XSLC), Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) said on Thursday, marking a large milestone in the country’s growing space program.
According to a National Space Agency spokesman, the new satellite is expected to support national capacities in earth observation, agricultural monitoring and environmental analysis.
The satellite will also contribute to geosppatial and monitoring of strategic initiatives such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), helping with regional planning and support for natural resource management.
Suparco spokesman added that the satellite will help identify transport networks and geographical dangers.
According to the Agency, this Pakistan’s second remote satellite after PRSS-1 launched in 2018. With the addition of the new satellite, five Pakistani satellites are now operational in orbit, which strengthens the national capacity of space-based monitoring and disaster management.
The launch comes as part of Pakistan’s wider national space policy and vision 2047. According to Suparco, the new satellite is equipped with advanced imaging systems and will help predict and mitigate natural disasters, including floods, landslides, landslides and glacier melt.
Suparco has said the satellite is equipped with advanced imaging systems designed to help precision farming, disaster action, urban planning and climate monitoring.
The Federal Minister of Planning Ahsan Iqbal congratulated the nation with the successful launch and praised the Suparco team, engineers and researchers for their performance. Iqbal said that the satellite had successfully reached its orbit and expressed gratitude for China’s strong support to make the mission possible.
In a message that was shared on X, Iqbal described the launch as “another Uraan of Pakistan” and declared it “another proud moment for our nation.” He said the mission reflects “dedication and expertise in Suparco and its brilliant team” and claimed that the milestone “not only strengthens Pakistan’s capacity in space research, but also takes Pakistan – China Iron Brotherhood beyond heaven.”
He also said that Pakistan would restore his leadership role in space technology and revealed that a Pakistani astronaut next year of Chinese assistance would be sent into space. Iqbal also announced that Pakistan is aiming to implement his program to reach the Moon by 2035.
Previously, Suparco had stated that the satellite would play a key role in sustainable development by improving resource management, supporting precision farming and facilitative urban and regional planning.
The mission is based on a decade of progress since the launch of Package-1R in 2011, followed by PAKTES-1A and PRSS-1 in 2018. In 2024, the country achieved another milestone with the launch of Paksat-MM1, which provided high-speed internet to remote areas.
Pakistan’s first student-built moon satellite, Icube Qamar, also provided global headlines with its images of the moon’s surface.
Most recently, in January 2025, Pakistan launched its first fully original satellite, electrooptic satellite EO-1, developed exclusively by local engineers and researchers, designed for agriculture, disaster monitoring and environmental analysis.
