Pakistan’s remote sensing satellite orbiting earth efficaciously

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services) 

PRSS-1, the first-ever Remote Sensing Satellite of Pakistan, along with Pakistan Technology Evaluation Satellite (PakTES-1A), has been orbiting the earth for the last two consecutive years successfully, providing high resolution satellite imagery that playing an important role in contributing for socio-economic development of the country.

These satellites services uplifted the socio-economic development of Pakistan and empowered the country in agriculture classification and assessment, urban and rural planning and water resource management. 

They have also helped in assessing the situation of forestation, rainfall and storage of rainwater. 

The satellites helped Pakistan end its reliance on commercial satellites for environmental monitoring particularly to address the challenges of floods, drought and water shortage. 

According to Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), the PRSS-1 has been successfully launched in a dual launch configuration along with Pakistan Technology Evaluation Satellite (PakTES-1A) using China’s LM-2C/SMA Launch Vehicle on July 9, 2018 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC), China. 

Since then both of them have been operating efficaciously. The PRSS-1 weighing 1,200 kg and the 285 kg PakTES-1A functioned at an altitude of 640km and 610km correspondingly.

As per China National Space Administration (CNSA), the PRSS-1 was China's first optical remote sensing satellite exported to Pakistan. 

The information provided by the PRSS-1 is widely used in Pakistan's land and resources survey and evaluation, dynamic monitoring and management, resource utilization, environmental disaster monitoring, agricultural survey and urban construction and so on.