There has been a lot of speculation recently about Pakistans upcoming satellite launches and why these are not being indigenously launched by a Pakistani space launch vehicle. Here are some clarifications.
PRSS-O1 (The O is for optical) is an Electro Optical satellite manufactured by CGWIC. It will likely have a mass exceeding 1000kg (too heavy for a 1st generation Pakistani SLV to lift) and will likely have a 1 m panchromatic and a 4 m multi-spectral imaging system. It may also features 30 m SWIR and 60 m LWIR imagers (infra red imaging). It will NOT be a Synthetic Aperature Radar (SAR) Satellite, and it will not carry any sort of SAR payload.
PakTes-1A is a 285kg low to medium E/O remote sensing satellite indigenously developed by Suparco but with the payload (instrumentation, cameras, imagers) subcontracted to South Africa's 'Space Advisory Company'. Optical payload in <3m PAN and <6m MS resolution. This satellite is a TESTBED satellite for future indigenous projects.
It is cheaper for Pakistan to co-launch PakTes-1A with PRSS-O1.
Future Satellites (with China):
Top of the range: Earth Observation
PRSS-S1 - Will be the SAR satellite, to be bought from China in future years, but who knows when?
PRSS-O2 - Will be the follow on from PRSS-O1 to be launched in 5 years. Also very likely to be bought from China.
Top of the range: Communication Sats:
Pakistan Multi-Mission Satellite-1 (May feature X band transponders for military communications as well as Ka transponders). Will be a 50:50 joint venture with China in terms of build. Pakistan is likely to build the satellite Bus, China to provide payload.
PAKSAT-II - Communication Sat to follow on from PAKSAT-1R. Likely to be built by China.
Pakistan Multi-Mission Satellite-2: Follow on from Paksat-MM1. Maybe greater pakistani imput in payload development?
Future Satellites - 'Indigenous'
PakTes-1B; Optical Remote Sensing satellite. Follow on from PakTes-1A (Suparco Project)
Pakistan National Student Satellite Project. (Pakistani universities project)
PNSS-1 Platform Specifications
▪ Communication : UHF and VHF
▪ Structure : Cuboid, Body mounted Solar Panels
▪ Envelop : 500 (mm) x 500 (mm) x 500 (mm)
▪ Orbit : LEO (500 km)
▪ Attitude Control : 3-axis stabilized
▪ Power : > 50 Watts
▪ CDHS : Distributed Architecture CAN Bus
- Weight 50 kg
PNSS-1 Payload Specifications
▪ High Resolution Camera
• Swath Width
29 km- 25 km
• Spectral Range
450nm-750nm
(Visible)
▪ Low Resolution Camera
• Swath Width
66 km- 49 km
• Spectral Range
400nm-1000nm
(Visible)
▪ Lightening Detector Unit.
• Detects the variations caused by the Lightening Effect
ICUBE-2. (3U Cubesat) Small cubesat. Follow on from ICUBE-1 IST university project.
There is ZERO chance that any of these satellites apart from the last 3 will be launched from a Pakistan SLV. In any case, a Pakistan SLV would look very much like China's Kaituozhe-2, and Pakistan would likely launch a dummy satellite as a first test. Something of very low value.
PRSS-O1 (The O is for optical) is an Electro Optical satellite manufactured by CGWIC. It will likely have a mass exceeding 1000kg (too heavy for a 1st generation Pakistani SLV to lift) and will likely have a 1 m panchromatic and a 4 m multi-spectral imaging system. It may also features 30 m SWIR and 60 m LWIR imagers (infra red imaging). It will NOT be a Synthetic Aperature Radar (SAR) Satellite, and it will not carry any sort of SAR payload.
PakTes-1A is a 285kg low to medium E/O remote sensing satellite indigenously developed by Suparco but with the payload (instrumentation, cameras, imagers) subcontracted to South Africa's 'Space Advisory Company'. Optical payload in <3m PAN and <6m MS resolution. This satellite is a TESTBED satellite for future indigenous projects.
It is cheaper for Pakistan to co-launch PakTes-1A with PRSS-O1.
Future Satellites (with China):
Top of the range: Earth Observation
PRSS-S1 - Will be the SAR satellite, to be bought from China in future years, but who knows when?
PRSS-O2 - Will be the follow on from PRSS-O1 to be launched in 5 years. Also very likely to be bought from China.
Top of the range: Communication Sats:
Pakistan Multi-Mission Satellite-1 (May feature X band transponders for military communications as well as Ka transponders). Will be a 50:50 joint venture with China in terms of build. Pakistan is likely to build the satellite Bus, China to provide payload.
PAKSAT-II - Communication Sat to follow on from PAKSAT-1R. Likely to be built by China.
Pakistan Multi-Mission Satellite-2: Follow on from Paksat-MM1. Maybe greater pakistani imput in payload development?
Future Satellites - 'Indigenous'
PakTes-1B; Optical Remote Sensing satellite. Follow on from PakTes-1A (Suparco Project)
Pakistan National Student Satellite Project. (Pakistani universities project)
PNSS-1 Platform Specifications
▪ Communication : UHF and VHF
▪ Structure : Cuboid, Body mounted Solar Panels
▪ Envelop : 500 (mm) x 500 (mm) x 500 (mm)
▪ Orbit : LEO (500 km)
▪ Attitude Control : 3-axis stabilized
▪ Power : > 50 Watts
▪ CDHS : Distributed Architecture CAN Bus
- Weight 50 kg
PNSS-1 Payload Specifications
▪ High Resolution Camera
• Swath Width
29 km- 25 km
• Spectral Range
450nm-750nm
(Visible)
▪ Low Resolution Camera
• Swath Width
66 km- 49 km
• Spectral Range
400nm-1000nm
(Visible)
▪ Lightening Detector Unit.
• Detects the variations caused by the Lightening Effect
ICUBE-2. (3U Cubesat) Small cubesat. Follow on from ICUBE-1 IST university project.
There is ZERO chance that any of these satellites apart from the last 3 will be launched from a Pakistan SLV. In any case, a Pakistan SLV would look very much like China's Kaituozhe-2, and Pakistan would likely launch a dummy satellite as a first test. Something of very low value.
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