Pakistan launches first home-made observation satellite
The Hindu
Pakistan launches first observation satellite to boost monitoring capabilities, part of growing global trend in satellite technology.
“Pakistan launched its first home-made observation satellite on Friday (January 17, 2025) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northern China,” Pakistan’s space agency said.
The PRSC-EO1 satellite will boost Pakistan’s ability to monitor and manage natural resources, respond to disasters, and improve urban planning and agricultural development, the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) said in a statement.
This type of satellite uses electro-optical sensors to collect data and images of the Earth’s surface by detecting and measuring reflected sunlight or emitted radiation.
China's Long March-2D carrier rocket also launched on Friday (January 17, 2025) two other satellites, Tianlu-1 and Blue Carbon 1, into orbit along with the PRSC EO1, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation said in a statement.
Currently valued at $5 billion, the earth observation satellite market is among the fastest growing sectors within the commercial space industry, with Novaspace predicting it to exceed $8 billion by 2033.
Countries including the United States, China and India have been building their own government and private satellite constellations to map the Earth. Indian startup Pixxel this month launched the country’s first privately built satellite constellation.
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