Pakistan on 25th July, successfully launched PAKSAT MM1, a multi-mission communication satellite, in collaboration with China. This is the second time that Islamabad has launched a satellite this month. According to state-run China’s Xinhua news agency, the satellite was sent into orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province.
The satellite reached its anticipated orbit successfully.
Pakistani Television said in a release that the PAKSAT MM1 will significantly improve internet services across Pakistan. The satellite is also expected to boost television broadcastings, mobile phone networks and broadband connections. The Dawn newspaper revealed that it will start rendering its services in August.
The launch excited Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
“I am especially thrilled by what potential impact PAKSAT MM1 could have on Internet connectivity throughout Pakistan. This Satellite offers high-powered communications technologies that could redefine our digital landscape and enable us to speed up download speeds around our entire country,” noted Sharif.
Sharif outlined broad effects of the satellite too.
He stated that daily lives of Pakistani people would get better while economic activities as well as e-commerce and e-governance would be boosted thanks to PAKSAT MM1.
Sharif also mentioned strong relations between Pakistan and China.
“The fact that this launch took place at the Chinese space center testifies to the friendship and cooperation between two countries,” he added.
“We can help move our nation forward through such joint efforts and use technology for the wellbeing of our people,” stressed Sharif.
He exalted the technical achievements of this satellite as well
This demonstrates how these feats placed Pakistan’s scientific capabilities on display with placing this satellite 36,000 kilometers above Earth’s surface geostationary orbit an “impressive feat.”
Suparco shared information about this launch; Pakistani Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) provided additional details about it.
Accordingly, national space program 2047 Suparco said that the satellite launch is a part of these. The PAKSAT MM1 project has been jointly undertaken by Suparco and the Chinese aerospace industry to meet the increasing communication and connectivity needs in Pakistan.
Planning Minister, Ahsan Iqbal shared his vision during this launch occasion.
“We aim to launch our own satellites through our rockets from our local launching pads in near future. Not far away we are from when we are going to launch our satellites using our rockets from Pakistan’s Space Launch Centre,” he said. Congratulations Pakistan.
Earlier on May 3, Pakistan’s mini satellite ‘iCube-Qamar’ was launched as part of China’s Chang’e-6 lunar mission from Hainan province.
Pakistan is making its presence felt in space with six satellites including BADR-A, BADR-B, PAKSAT 1-R, PRSS-1, PakTes 1-A and iCube-Qamar.
The iCube-Qamar transmitted first ever images of moon taken from lunar orbit on May 8 after its launch on May 3.