
China launches new remote-sensing satellite
Launched by a Kuaizhou-1A (KZ-1A) carrier rocket, the PRSS-1 has entered its planned orbit.
The satellite will be primarily used in the fields of land resource surveys and disaster prevention and mitigation.

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Times of Oman
2 days ago
- Times of Oman
Pakistan gearing up to land spacecraft on Moon by 2035 with China's support
Beijing): Despite starting its space research programme almost a decade earlier than India, Pakistan is gearing up to land a spacecraft on the Moon by 2035, as stated by the country's Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, Geo News reported. The announcement came as the nation currently struggles with the rise of terrorist attacks, basic infrastructure and economic instability. Speaking during a meeting in Beijing with Chinese officials, including Head of China's Atomic Energy Authority and Space Agency Shan Zhongde, Iqbal called for deeper reliance on China to fill gaps in Pakistan's space and nuclear programs, Geo News reported. The lunar mission has been tasked to Pakistan's Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), which is yet to launch a satellite or space mission all on its own, particularly without the assistance of China. Pakistan will contribute a 35-kilogram lunar rover to China's Chang'e-8 mission in 2028, which aims to explore the Moon's south pole. The rover will conduct scientific experiments, analyse terrain, and assess resource utilisation. Meanwhile, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has made significant strides compared to its neighbour, with notable success with its lunar mission, Chandrayaan and Mars mission, Mangalyaan. India is now also on its way to its first manned mission in space, Gaganyaan, scheduled for the first quarter of early 2027. According to Geo News, the discussion between the two sides, framed as strategic cooperation, largely highlighted Pakistan's growing dependence on Chinese technology and expertise. Iqbal promoted the "Uraan Pakistan" initiative, claiming that the country's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reinvigorated the country's stagnant space science sector, Geo News reported. He noted that three Pakistani-made satellites were launched recently, though all with significant Chinese assistance, and Pakistan now hopes to again piggyback on China's space station to send its first astronaut by 2026, with no clear independent capability. With climate change and domestic resource crises looming, Iqbal shifted focus to energy, calling for more Chinese support in nuclear power and cutting-edge tech like quantum computing, a field in which Pakistan has little to no native capacity. Pakistan's space sector, led by the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), was established in 1961 by Dr Abdus Salam, a Nobel laureate and scientific advisor to President Ayub. Insufficient government funding has hindered SUPARCO's progress, with an annual budget of $36 million compared to India's ISRO, which receives significantly more. SUPARCO has faced leadership issues, with retired army generals heading the agency for the past 11 years, raising questions about its scientific direction. Moreover, Pakistan relies heavily on China for satellite launches and development, limiting its indigenous capabilities. Few universities in Pakistan offer space-related courses, restricting the growth of skilled professionals. Meanwhile, the Pakistani government had once again failed to honour its financial commitments under the CPEC, with outstanding payments to Chinese power producers ballooning to PKR 423 billion by June 2025, as reported by The Express Tribune.


Times of Oman
6 days ago
- Times of Oman
"It is one of the most precise launches that has ever happened": ISRO Chairman on Mission NISAR
Thiruvananthapuram: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman Dr V Narayanan on Thursday termed the launch of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite as one of the most precise ever, following its successful injection into orbit using an indigenously developed Indian launcher. Addressing the media in Kerala, on Mission NISAR Satellite, ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan said, "NASA was very excited to understand that India could successfully launch using the indigenously developed GSLV marked is one of the most precise launches that has ever happened in the entire country today can be proud that a highly useful satellite built jointly by NASA and ISRO is placed in orbit using the Indian launcher..." On Wednesday, ISRO stated that the GSLV-F16 rocket had successfully and precisely injected the 2,393 kg NASA-ISRO NISAR satellite into its intended Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO), marking a significant milestone in the agency's Earth observation capabilities. The ISRO Chairman congratulated the ISRO and NASA on their success and said, "This is our 102nd launch from 18 missions of GSLV. The previous F-15 mission was the 100th successful mission from Sriharikota." The Chairman said that this is the first GSLV Mission to the Sun-synchronous polar orbit. "Being the first SSPO mission, several analyses and studies were carried out to make this mission a grand success, including cryogenic upper stage corrections. A host of mission simulations were carried out systematically and meticulously, and today's mission is successfully accomplished," the ISRO chairman stated. After lift off, the satellite was inserted into orbit with a margin of less than 3 kilometres, far below the permissible error limit of 20 kilometres. "All the vehicle system performance is quite normal as expected and predicted. Today we achieved the intended orbit. We have placed it in orbit less than 3 kilometres within the permissible level of 20 kilometres," the ISRO chief said. NISAR is a joint Earth observation satellite developed by ISRO and the US space agency NASA. It is designed to deliver highly detailed data on Earth's surface. The satellite will scan the entire globe once every 12 days, capturing high-resolution images that can detect changes smaller than a centimetre. It is expected to support applications such as monitoring sea-level rise, natural disasters, soil moisture, and ecosystem dynamics.


Times of Oman
6 days ago
- Times of Oman
China launches new remote-sensing satellite
Beijing: China on Thursday launched the Pakistan Remote-Sensing Satellite (PRSS-1) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwest China's Sichuan Province. Launched by a Kuaizhou-1A (KZ-1A) carrier rocket, the PRSS-1 has entered its planned orbit. The satellite will be primarily used in the fields of land resource surveys and disaster prevention and mitigation.