On January 17, a Long March-2D (LM-2D) satellite launch vehicle (SLV) successfully delivered Pakistan’s PRSC-EO1 imaging satellite into its designated orbit.
The mission was conducted by the China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC), a subsidiary of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). In addition to the PRSC-EO1, the LM-2D also deployed China’s DAO-1 and Blue Carbon-1 satellites.
For Pakistan to maintain a credible presence in space, it would need to maintain a program of regularly deploying satellites. Not only is a regular satellite launch cadence necessary to replace defunct satellites after they reach the end of their lifecycles, but a means of using new technology.
For example, the PRSS-O1 can capture multi-spectral images at a resolution of within 3 m, while the EO-1 could potentially do it (based on the PRSS-O2’s specifications) at sub-1 m.
The average lifecycle of a satellite varies based on its type and mission. A geosynchronous orbit (GEO) satellite has an average lifespan of 15 to 20 years, while a low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite (like the EO1 or PRSS-O1) can function for about 5 to 10 years. For reference, the EO-1 has a lifespan of 5 years according to a SUPARCO official.
With limited lifespans, satellites require regular replacing. Pakistan has relatively limited fiscal means, at least from a foreign or hard currency standpoint.
Pakistan’s decision-makers understood that continuously importing satellites off-the-shelf would not be a feasible means of sustaining a credible presence in space, hence the urgency towards localizing satellite design and production work.
In this localization journey, SUPARCO’s satellite design and integration capacity was the first to develop. In fact, SUPARCO was engaging numerous foreign suppliers, such as the South African SAC, for critical inputs that could go towards an original satellite.
In 2018, the Government of Pakistan committed to establishing a ‘Pakistan Space Centre’ (PSC) to drive the design and production of satellites in the country.
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