Pakistan launches remote sensing satellite with China’s help

Pakistan’s national space agency, SUPARCO, announced Thursday it had successfully launched a remote sensing satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China — a significant milestone in the country’s emerging space program.

The launch was carried out in collaboration with the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) and MICROSAT China.

The satellite is designed to provide high-resolution imaging for a range of civilian applications, including urban planning, disaster management, food security, and environmental monitoring.

It will support climate change observation, water resource management, agricultural mapping, and deforestation tracking.

Officials say the technology will enhance precision agriculture, improve crop yields, and aid in infrastructure monitoring and regional development planning.

It will also support disaster preparedness by offering early warnings for floods, landslides, and earthquakes, while contributing to national projects such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) by mapping transportation routes and identifying geohazard risks.

At the launch ceremony, Pakistan’s Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal praised the dedication of engineers, scientists, and technical teams from both countries.

SUPARCO Chairman Mohammad Yousaf Khan said the satellite will play a key role in sustainable socio-economic development and strengthen Pakistan’s earth observation capabilities to study land surfaces, oceans, the atmosphere, and the biosphere.