ISLAMABAD, Jan 17 (NNI): China on Friday launched Pakistan’s indigenously developed Electro-Optical (EO-1) satellite into space that aims to predict natural disasters and monitor resources.
The EO-1 satellite was launched from China’s Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The launch represents the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission’s (SUPARCO) dedication and expertise in advancing Pakistan’s technological capabilities in space science.
The satellite will enhance the country’s ability to monitor and manage natural resources, predict and respond to natural disasters, support food security and drive economic growth through informed decision-making and sustainable development.
“The satellite, named PRSC-EO1, was launched at 12:07 p.m. (Beijing time) by a Long March-2D carrier rocket and entered its planned orbit successfully,” Chinese media reported.
“The rocket also carried two other satellites, namely Tianlu-1 and Lantan-1.”
The launch marked the 556th flight mission involving China’s Long March carrier rocket series, which was launched in 1970.
In urban development, the EO-1 satellite can help track infrastructure growth, manage urban sprawl and aid city and regional planning efforts. It will provide timely updates on floods, landslides, earthquakes, deforestation and land erosion in terms of environmental monitoring and disaster management, according to Pakistani state media.
The satellite will also support extraction and conservation strategies for natural resources, such as the monitoring of minerals, oil and gas fields, glacier recession and water resources.
Pakistan has witnessed erratic, frequent changes in its weather patterns, including floods, droughts, cyclones, torrential rainstorms, heatwaves and the slow-onset threat of glacial melting, in recent years that scientists have blamed on human-driven climate change.
In 2022, unusually heavy rains triggered floods in many parts of the country, killing over 1,700 people, inflicting economic losses of around $30 billion, and affecting at least 30 million people.
“Designed and developed entirely by Pakistani engineers, EO-1 satellite is expected to provide substantial benefits across various sectors,” the report said Friday.
Pakistan has taken strides in its space research program in the past few months. In Nov. last year, SUPARCO announced its rover will join China’s Chang’E 8 mission to explore the moon’s surface in 2028.
In May 2024, Pakistan launched its first lunar satellite aboard China’s Chang’e-6 probe, which was tasked with landing on the far side of the moon that perpetually faces away from the Earth. China was the first country to make such an ambitious attempt. NNI
