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Suparco to build first indigenous satellite
KARACHI: The Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) is drafting a feasibility report to build country’s first indigenous satellite at an estimated cost of $200 million under National Satellite Development Programme (NSDP) within five years, the Suparco chief, Maj Gen Raza Hussain, said.
Talking to journalists after attending the inaugural session of Suparco’s short-training course on ‘environmental pollution monitoring’ on Monday, he said that Pakistan had earlier deployed a communication satellite Paksat-1 at 38 degree East longitude in the Geostationary Orbit in December 2002 as an interim solution to save the orbital slot.
"We will ‘wrap up’ the feasibility study by January 2005 to go on designing Paksat-1R to replace the present Paksat-1 satellite hired essentially to occupy the orbital slot for Pakistan," Raza Hussain told, adding Pakistan has to replace Paksat-1 with its own satellite version because the present satellite’s life is of five years.
Raza Hussain said the satellite would be a joint venture with any satellite manufacturer in the world agreed to collaborate on Pakistan’s terms.
Pakistan’s space programme was initiated almost simultaneously with Indian, but there has always been a vast technological gap between two countries’ capabilities, he said. "India spends half a billion dollars on its space programme and has injected 9 to 10 satellites, including communication satellite on its own," he maintained. "What we need is sustainability of our satellite programme and political commitment."
According to the Suparco chief, a committee, headed by minister of IT, will evaluate the feasibility report before giving a green-signal for the satellite development with any international manufacturing party.
KARACHI: The Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) is drafting a feasibility report to build country’s first indigenous satellite at an estimated cost of $200 million under National Satellite Development Programme (NSDP) within five years, the Suparco chief, Maj Gen Raza Hussain, said.
Talking to journalists after attending the inaugural session of Suparco’s short-training course on ‘environmental pollution monitoring’ on Monday, he said that Pakistan had earlier deployed a communication satellite Paksat-1 at 38 degree East longitude in the Geostationary Orbit in December 2002 as an interim solution to save the orbital slot.
"We will ‘wrap up’ the feasibility study by January 2005 to go on designing Paksat-1R to replace the present Paksat-1 satellite hired essentially to occupy the orbital slot for Pakistan," Raza Hussain told, adding Pakistan has to replace Paksat-1 with its own satellite version because the present satellite’s life is of five years.
Raza Hussain said the satellite would be a joint venture with any satellite manufacturer in the world agreed to collaborate on Pakistan’s terms.
Pakistan’s space programme was initiated almost simultaneously with Indian, but there has always been a vast technological gap between two countries’ capabilities, he said. "India spends half a billion dollars on its space programme and has injected 9 to 10 satellites, including communication satellite on its own," he maintained. "What we need is sustainability of our satellite programme and political commitment."
According to the Suparco chief, a committee, headed by minister of IT, will evaluate the feasibility report before giving a green-signal for the satellite development with any international manufacturing party.