Shaheen-III Programme
Main article: Shaheen-III
Pakistan began to concentrate to developed its first SLV in sometime in 1998. On March 2001, Science Advisor to the President Abdul Qadeer Khan publicly announced that Pakistani aerospace scientists were in the general process of building the country's first Expendable Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV) and that the project had been assigned to SUPARCO, which also built the Badr satellites.[14]
Abdul Qadeer Khan also cited the fact that India had made rapid advances in launch technology and satellite manufacture as another motivation for developing an indigenous launch capabilities. Abdul Majid, then-chairman of SUPARCO, confirmed Khan's statement and said "Pakistan envision a low-cost SLV and Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) inroder to launch light-weight satellite into low-earth orbits. Abdul Qadeer Khan also added that" Pakistan has very robust IRBMs which can launch geostationary orbiting satellites. All Pakistan has to do is to erase Delhi or Kolkota from the target and point it towards the sky. Instead of Hydrogen bombs and Atomic bombs the missiles can easily carry a payload of a satellite".[14]
In March 2005, President General Musharraf authorized renewed research and development on an indigenous launch capability, which would be able to orbit a planned domestically built satellite, the PAKSAT-IR. During the IDEAS 2002 defence exhibition Pakdef spotted two similar models of Pakistani Satellite Launch Vehicles.
The first model points out a possible three stage of Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV). Judging from other similar SLV's, it is estimated that it can place a payload weighing around 80–100 kilogramme to an orbit 450–490 kilometres above Earth's surface. However the exact data remains unknown. The second model of the Satellite Launch Vehicle seems similar to the first model however, with four extra boosters. Many nations with SLV technology developed boosters based on their missile technology. Therefore it is fair to assume that the boosters on the second model might also be based on one of Pakistan's ballistic missiles.
On August 2006, after Prime minister Shaukat Aziz's official visit to People's Republic of China, Prime Minister Aziz called a meeting of Suparco's scientists and engineers, where Prime minister was briefed by SUPARCO's scientist on the status of the both SLV programme. At present, the status of such programme is remained unclear and unknown.
In August 18, 2009, Samar Mubarak Mand reported that Pakistan would launch its own satellite in April 2011 it made some things seem all to obvious to analyst familiar with the subject.[16] According to Global Security.org, it is expected the satellite would be launched from Shaheen-III booster from unknown Pakistan's space facility.
Pakistan Shaheen-III Space Booster