China launches satellite for Pakistan

Friday 12 Aug 2011
Pakistan’s PakSat-1R geostationary communications satellite was launched into space by a Chinese rocket from a site in southwest China yesterday, IBN Live reports.

The satellite carries a communication payload to facilitate the launch of several new services, including digital television broadcasts, broadband Internet, remote and rural telephony, emergency communications, tele-education and tele-medicine.

The satellite was carried into space by a Long March-3B rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Sichuan province.

PakSat-1R was built by scientists and engineers from Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) with technical guidance and financial aid from China National Space Administration.

It is expected to have a lifespan of 15 years and will be operated from SUPARCO’s satellite ground stations in Lahore and Karachi.

The satellite was designed by China Academy of Space Technology, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

The satellite has 30 transponders, 12 C-band and 18 Ku-band.

It has communications antennas covering South Asia, the Middle East, East Africa and part of Western Europe.

The agreement for launching the satellite was signed in October 2008, when President Asif Ali Zardari visited China.