*NEW DELHI- *China today launched two satellites for Pakistan that, amongother things, are meant to keep an eye on India. One of them — the PRSS-1– is a remote sensing satellite built by China. The other — PakTES-1A -is Pakistan’s indigenously developed scientific experiment satellite. Thetwo were launched this morning on Chinese rocket Long March-2C from theJiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, NDTV has reported.
The remote-sensing PRSS-1 satellite can carry out day and night monitoring,and it has viewing capacity even in clouded conditions.
The satellite would be used for land and resources surveying, monitoring ofnatural disasters, agriculture research, urban construction and to provideremote sensing information for China’s “Belt and Road” mega-project.Scientists said it would also help Pakistan keep watch on India.
The PRSS-1 is the first optical remote sensing satellite China sold toPakistan.
The launch of the satellites marks yet another instance of Pakistan’s spacecooperation with China, its Number One ally. In August 2011, China hadlaunched PAKSAT-1R, a communication satellite. Pakistan, which already hadfive satellites in space, lacks heavy duty launchers and satellitefabrication facilities.
Scientists said it would also help Pakistan keep watch on India.
India is way ahead of Pakistan in space technology, with 43 operationalsatellites in space. India also has the radar imaging satellites withall-weather surveillance capability. India used images gathered from itssatellites for the surgical strikes it carried out in 2016.
Three years ago, Pakistan opted out of India’s project for a “South AsiaSatellite”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “gift” to SAARC countries wasan extension of his “Sab Ka Saath Sab Ka Vikas” ideology to India’sneighbourhood, where China is extending its influence.
The remote-sensing PRSS-1 satellite can carry out day and night monitoring.
After a planning meet for the satellite in June 2015, Islamabad opted out,suggesting it had its “own space programme”.
The Rs. 235-crore communication satellite — launched in May last year –caters to Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
The PRSS-1 is the first optical remote sensing satellite China sold toPakistan. It is the 17th satellite developed by the China Academy of SpaceTechnology for an overseas buyer.
Today’s launch is the 279th mission for the Long March rocket series. LongMarch-2C rockets are mainly used to send satellites into low Earth orSun-synchronous orbits. It is also the first international commerciallaunch for a Long March-2C rocket in nearly two decades after it carriedMotorola’s Iridium satellites into orbit in 1999.