China congratulates Pakistan over launch of new remote sensing satellite

China congratulated Pakistan for achieving a significant milestone in its space programme on Thursday with the successful launch of its latest remote sensing satellite into space from Beijing's Xichang Satellite Launch Centre (XSLC).

"Warmly congratulate the successful launch of a new remote sensing satellite for Pakistan from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China!" the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan wrote in a post on X.

"May this satellite further strengthen our iron brother’s capabilities in land resource survey and disaster prevention and alleviation."

The new satellite was developed through a collaboration between Pakistan's Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco), the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) and MICROSAT China.

According to Suparco, the new satellite will enhance Earth observation, agricultural monitoring, and environmental analysis.

Its advanced imaging systems, capable of round-the-clock data acquisition, are designed to aid precision agriculture, disaster response, urban planning, and climate surveillance, including predicting and mitigating floods, earthquakes, landslides, and glacier melt.

The satellite will also contribute to geospatial monitoring of strategic initiatives such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), assist with regional planning, and support natural resource management efforts. It will assist in identifying transportation networks and geographical hazards.

According to the national space agency, this is Pakistan’s second remote sensing satellite after PRSS-1, which was launched in 2018. With the addition of the new satellite, five Pakistani satellites are now operational in orbit, strengthening national capacity in space-based monitoring and disaster management.

The launch comes as part of Pakistan’s broader National Space Policy and Vision 2047. 

Additionally, Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal had congratulated the nation on the successful launch and praised the Suparco team, engineers, and scientists for their achievement. 

Iqbal said that the satellite had successfully reached its orbit and expressed gratitude for China’s strong support in making the mission possible.

In a message shared on X, Iqbal described the launch as "another URAAN of Pakistan," and declared it "another proud moment for our nation." He said the mission reflects the "dedication and excellence of Suparco and its brilliant team," and asserted that the milestone "not only strengthens Pakistan’s capabilities in space exploration but also takes Pakistan–China Iron Brotherhood beyond the skies."

He further stated that Pakistan would restore its leadership role in space technology and revealed that next year, with Chinese assistance, a Pakistani astronaut would be sent into space. Iqbal also announced that Pakistan aims to successfully complete its programme to reach the Moon by 2035.