ISLAMABAD – PAKISTAN, on Monday, launched two satellites with Chinese help.The Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite-I (PRSS-1) and Pakistan TechnologyEvaluation Satellite-IA were co-launched from China’s Jiuquan SatelliteCentre on top of a three-stage launch vehicle.
This would enable Pakistan to meet its imagery requirements in areas ofland mapping, agriculture classification and assessment, urban and ruralplanning, environmental monitoring, natural disaster management and waterresource management for socio-economic development.
There are two distinct features of the development – the satellites werelaunched with the cooperation and assistance of all our time-tested andall-weather friend China and PakTES-1A was indigenous developed by ourengineers and scientists. Pakistan is indebted to China for extending helpin critical areas especially in technologies that other countries arereluctant to come forward for questionable reasons.
Like other countries of the world, Pakistan too is keen to take advantageof modern technology to accelerate the pace of progress and development butsome countries are denying it the opportunity to do so. In this backdrop,China’s willingness to provide assistance in peaceful uses of nuclear andspace technology would always be remembered.
Similarly, indigenous development of the second satellite is yet anothermanifestation of the reality that given opportunity and resources, ourengineers, scientists and technicians can excel in every field.
SUPARCO deserves credit for the achievement and must be provided necessaryresources for much-needed research and development.