A Pakistani astronaut is scheduled to be the first non-Chinese person to go to Tiangong, the Chinese Space Station, according to media reports. Last year, China put a Pakistani satellite ICUBE-Q aboard its historic Chiang’e 6 mission into the moon’s orbit, designed to retrieve samples from the little explored far side of the moon. Weeks later, Beijing put another Pakistani communication satellite into orbit. The two sides have also announced that China’s Chang’e 8 moon lander mission in 2028 will carry a Pakistani rover to explore the moon's surface.
Space science is a lot more than rocket science. It goes well beyond building booster rockets for satellite launches. It includes various fields like physics, astronomy, biology, chemistry, and engineering to study phenomena in space and collect and analyze data about activities on earth. Pakistan-China space cooperation is yet another confirmation of the close and growing scientific ties between the two countries. Tens of thousands of Pakistani students are currently attending Chinese universities which are among the best in the world. Thousands of Pakistani engineers and scientists are closely working with their Chinese counterparts on multiple projects. It is great opportunity for Pakistanis to learn from astounding scientific and technological achievements of their Chinese counterparts.
Chinese researchers dominate global AI research, according to Marco Polo which tracks global AI talent. China dominates the top 10 science institutions, with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) and Tsinghua University taking the top three spots, according to the Science Journal Nature. Only two non-Chinese institutions broke into the top 10 – the Max Planck Society in Germany at No 4 and the French National Center for Scientific Research at No 10. The top three US institutions – the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University and Stanford University – were ranked at 13th, 16th and 20th, respectively.
Analysts believe that China's real focus is on industrial applications for Artificial Intelligence (AI) rather than chatbots like ChatGPT or DeepSeek. Chinese are working to use the underlying technology to develop affordable, commercially viable business solutions, according to Jacob Dreyer who recently wrote an article for science journal Nature. "Its applications can then be exported, especially to lower-income countries. In other words, China’s target is not necessarily ‘frontier AI’, but ‘mass-market AI’. Its emerging AI playbook mirrors its approach to other technologies, such as electric vehicles and clean energy: not the first to innovate, but the first to make them affordable for widespread use".
Related Links:
Pakistani Military Launches Defense AI Program
China Emerges as Top Destination For Pakistanis Studying Abroad
Digital Pakistan 2022: Broadband Penetration Soars to 90% of 15+ Population
STEM Enrollment in Pakistan Exceeds One Million
Digital Public Infrastructure in Pakistan
Pakistanis Mini Invasion of China
Is Pakistan Ready for the AI Revolution?
Growing Presence of Pakistani Women in Science and Technology
Riaz Haq's Youtube Channel
16 comments:
Hitching a ride on someone else's rocket or spacecraft isn't a big deal really. These days anyone can make a trip to space if they have the money to buy a seat. For that reason, I would consider Rakesh Sharma's trip to Salyut 7 space station in 1984 and Shubhanshu Shukla's upcoming Axiom flight to ISS as equally inconsequential as well. The real challenge is to develop the capability for spaceflight on your own. As I have remarked in an earlier comment, Pakistan seems to be the only country in the world to have an active ballistic missile development program without an SLV. Pakistani rockets may have some geographical limitations in launching satellites into eastward low-inclination orbits due to the risk of the rocket overflying Indian territory, but it should be able to do high-inclination polar orbit launches towards the south which is often the preferred orbit for remote sensing satellites.
"Chinese rockets are carrying Pakistani satellites, rovers and humans who will perform scientific experiments in space as part of this broader collaboration."
The point I am trying to make is that Pakistan is dependent on other countries to place its instruments or people in space. When a Pakistani rover eventually rolls on the lunar surface, it would have been taken and placed there by the Chinese. The rover would most likely communicate with the Pakistani scientists/engineers through China's spacecraft and ground stations. I'm not trying to gloat here that India managed to do all of this on its own, but just saying that for some reason Pakistan has so far not tried to utilize its ballistic missile technology for peaceful, constructive, scientific purposes. Pakistan has been too fixated on ballistic missiles and nukes to their own detriment (likely due to the overbearing influence of their military establishment on its space technology sector).
"The US has alleged that Pakistanis are working on a powerful rocket engines for ICBMs that could eventually hit the US. If it's true, then I see no reason why these powerful rockets couldn't be used for SLVs in the future."
An SLV doesn't appear to be in Pakistan's space plans for now, atleast publicly. I remember that there was a model of a Pakistani SLV with 4 strapon boosters exhibited at the IDEAS expo back in 2002. I'm not sure if it meant to use solid or liquid propellant stages or if some serious study was done on it, but nothing further was heard about that concept since then.
By building larger solid motors for its missile program, Pakistan would have the essential building blocks to create a small solid-fuelled SLV, though they might need to work on a light and efficient upper stage (preferrably liquid-fuelled) to give the satellite the final kick to orbit. The payload mass that could be carried by such a rocket would likely be limited however - from a few tens of kilograms to a couple of hundred kilograms at most.
To loft heavier satellites, Pakistan would need to develop much larger solid propellant motors than it has at present, or develop/acquire large liquid propellant engines. ISRO has used solid motors for the first stages of its rockets until now due to its simplicity and cost benefits, while the more efficient liquid engines were used mostly for upper stages.
The following image depicts the relative sizes of ISRO's rockets and will give you a sense of the scaling of solid motors involved.
https://historicspacecraft.com/Diagrams/R/Indian_Rockets_RK2023.png
In the early 1990s, ISRO made a big leap in its solid motor sizes - from the 9 tonne, 1m diameter S-9 motor used as the first stage of SLV-3 to the 139 tonne, 2.8m diameter S-139 motor used in PSLV, enabling the low-earth orbit (LEO) payload to jump from 40-150 kg in SLV-3/ASLV to nearly 3,000 kg in the PSLV.
(The fact that the S-9 first stage of SLV-3 became the small strapon boosters you can see at the base of PSLV in the image would give you an idea how much bigger PSLV's core solid motor is.)
The LVM3 rocket (which launched the Chandrayaan-2/3 to the moon) has twin 3.2 diameter S-200 solid boosters weighing at 236 tonnes each serving as its first stage, and the rocket is capable of putting 8,000-10,000 kg to LEO.
Meanwhile, ISRO's small-satellite launcher SSLV uses an 87 tonne, 2m diameter solid motor for its first stage and the rocket can place upto 300-500 kg to LEO.
(Do take note that the sizes of first stage solid motors do not give an accurate picture of rocket's payload capability as the efficiency of upper stages counts as a key factor. While SLV-3 and ASLV were all-solid launch vehicles, PSLV/GSLV/LVM3 uses more efficient liquid and cryogenic engines in its upper stages to enhance their payload mass. As for SSLV, while mostly propelled by solid stages, the rocket uses a small liquid propellant 4th stage to give the satellites a final, precise injection to orbit.)
Coming back to missiles, I do not know the details of Shaheen-III's solid stages apart from that its stage diameter is 1.4m and that the missile weighs around 23-25 tonnes. Meanwhile, Agni-V uses 2m diameter solid motors and weighs 50-55 tonnes, and has often been claimed by DRDO as capable of putting micro-satellites weighing under a few hundred kilograms into LEO (provided they add an upper stage, that is).
Dear Sir
I don't think that all the officials in American specially President Trump administration has alleged that Pakistani engineers and technicians are working on powerful engines that could allow it to hit America.
It is only pro Israeli Americans and specially the Indian lobbies in America who must be trying to convience the President Trump and his administration to try to put pressure on Pakistani authorities to stop working on such engines that could allow it to hit America.
Salam Sir
According to Mr. Mushahid Hussain one of the most senior and neutral analysts from Pakistan who himself has worked in the US government as an internee and also has relations with some of the officials in US Congress has himself said that American government and Congress is actually like a market where people have right to influence the government policies and decisions.
The President of America is obviously powerful and strong candidate but he is not alone in making decisions for the country and it's policies but has to take input from other officials and advisors.
The Indian and Israeli lobbies also have strong influence in the politics of America.
Dear Sir
The question is that why would Pakistan even think of attacking America using it's powerful engine that would allow it to hit America?
Do you think American government is naive to an extent that they would think this way? Definitely their must be lobbies of India and Is real working at the backend that must be trying to wash brains of the current administration in the US government.
India (8.3%) is the second largest importer of arms over the last 5 years (2019-2024). Ukraine (8.8%) is first. Pakistan (4.6%) 4th, according to SIPRI.
India's arms imports mainly from Russia, France and Israel.
Ukraine's from US, Germany and Poland.
Pakistan's from China, Netherlands and Turkey
https://www.sipri.org/media/press-release/2025/ukraine-worlds-biggest-arms-importer-united-states-dominance-global-arms-exports-grows-russian
https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/top-10-listing/top-10-largest-arms-importing-countries-2020-2024-indias-position-revealed-9880245/
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Chinese arms made up 81 per cent of Pakistan’s weapons imports in the past five years, as Islamabad buys more advanced systems from its long-standing Asian defence partner, according to data from Swedish think tank SIPRI.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3302515/china-supplied-81-pakistans-arms-imports-past-5-years-sipri-says
That was up 7 percentage points from the previous five-year period to 2019, when 74 per cent of Pakistan’s arms imports came from China, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute database shows.
The boost comes amid a huge push in China to improve self-reliance in its defence industry – from aircraft carriers to sixth-generation fighter jets – which has also seen it expand the range of weapons it can offer to its strategic partners.
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“The apparent willingness of China to supply or at least talk about supplying some of its more advanced weapons to Pakistan shows China’s trust in Pakistan,” said Siemon Wezeman, a senior arms transfers researcher at SIPRI.
China has been Pakistan’s primary arms supplier since the 1990s. But Pakistan’s tensions with India – especially since a series of border skirmishes broke out in 2016 – have prompted Islamabad to increase defence spending, and that has drawn it closer to Beijing.
Beijing avoids formal alliances but Wezeman said it could be seen as “Pakistan’s only real ‘ally’, the only one to depend on when dealing with India”.
At the same time, Pakistan plays a similar role for Beijing and is “the only one that at this moment could give China a secure access to a base on the Indian Ocean and near the Middle East”.
In April last year, China launched the first of eight Hangor II submarines to be delivered to Pakistan in a deal worth around US$5 billion – one of the most valuable military contracts China has signed.
According to the SIPRI database, some of Pakistan’s key orders in the past five years include the country’s first spy ship, the Rizwan, more than 600 VT-4 battle tanks, and 36 J-10CE 4.5-generation fighters.
The first delivery of multirole J-10CE fighter jets arrived in Pakistan in 2022, adding to its JF-17 fighters – a backbone model that makes up the bulk of Pakistan’s fleet.
The fourth-generation JF-17 was jointly developed by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and China’s Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group in a programme that dates back to 1999.
The Block III version of JF-17 – featuring an active electronically scanned array radar – was inducted by the Pakistan Air Force in 2023.
Song Zhongping, a military commentator and former PLA instructor, said China might also export its fifth-generation fighter jet, the J-35, “if Pakistan requests it”.
He said that since India was considering adding the American F-35 or Russian Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jets to its fleet, Pakistan was likely to be considering its options too.
China also delivered a range of surface-to-air missiles and defence systems to Pakistan between 2020 and 2024, according to SIPRI. They included a long-range HQ-9 system with around 70 missiles, some 200 medium-range LY-80s, and about 890 low-altitude portable FN-6 missiles.
Opinion | How tech innovation can bolster Pakistan’s relationship with China | South China Morning Post
By Thomas G. Tsao is co-founder and chairman of Gobi Partners, an Asia-focused venture capital firm
https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3304588/how-tech-innovation-can-bolster-pakistans-relationship-china
Pakistan has the potential to become a land of opportunity for start-ups, powered by its young, tech-savvy population of 240 million. But its founders are facing a series of challenges, including political instability and a funding downturn, which has hit Pakistan hard. One way to overcome those obstacles is by deepening its connection with China. And encouraging Pakistan’s innovation can benefit both countries.
China and Pakistan’s diplomatic partnership dates back nearly 75 years. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a critical part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, and, under the CPEC, China has invested billions of dollars into Pakistan’s physical infrastructure.
This partnership is expanding to digital infrastructure, too, with the CPEC covering initiatives such as joint research and technology transfer centres. When President Xi Jinping and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari met in Beijing in February, science and technology were among the areas on which they signed bilateral cooperation documents.
The collaboration also extends to the provincial level. In January, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz told Chinese investors that the province, which is Pakistan’s largest by population, aspires to build the biggest AI centre in the country with China’s cooperation.
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Pakistan faces serious challenges...In spite of these issues, the groundwork is being laid for Pakistan to become a meaningful tech collaborator with China. Pakistanis are embracing technology in large numbers. Broadband users nearly doubled between 2019 and 2024 from 69 million to 135 million, according to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, and that number continues to climb.
This mass adoption enables digital innovations to reach a significant audience and generate revenue. For example, e-commerce spending in Pakistan increased from US$2.2 billion to US$5 billion during the same five-year period, based on Datareportal figures.
The political landscape is also now more promising for start-ups, thanks to the formation of a six-party coalition government last year, with the Pakistan Muslim League leading the country for the next five years. This stability enabled Pakistan to negotiate a US$7 billion loan with the International Monetary Fund, boosting government initiatives to stabilise the economy and lower interest rates. This will help revive investor interest.
Government tech policies also have a better chance of bearing fruit. While innovation crosses sectors, fintech is emerging as a fast-growing area, driven by a young population seeking convenience in how they transact and the State Bank of Pakistan’s proactive policies. Licences for digital banks are being issued steadily, signalling long-term support for the sector.
As Pakistan and China continue their focus on technology and innovation, the ecosystem is set to flourish. Knowledge-sharing between the two can go both ways. Sectors where Pakistan can collaborate with China include agritech and fintech.
For example, Pakistan’s agricultural industry, which accounts for 24 per cent of its gross domestic product according to the government, can benefit from tech transfer with China’s smart farms. A new AI app called Kisan360, a joint project between Chinese and Pakistani researchers, recently launched to help farmers monitor their fields with the aid of drones and computer vision.
The Pakistani government also recently rolled out the Green Pakistan Initiative to find tech-enabled ways to strengthen development of the agricultural industry. The initiative has strong potential to complement China’s five-year action plan to digitise its agricultural industry.
The STRATCOM Bureau
@OSPSF
BREAKING:
Pakistan signs $406.4 million dollar contract with China’s PIESAT, a leading satellite manufacturer, to build a Pakistani satellite manufacturing facility, and manufacture an orbital satellite constellation for launch with SUPARCO.
Under the agreement, PIESAT will assist Pakistan in constructing an integrated satellite system for global real-time communication and remote sensing. The first phase includes the launch and operation of 20 satellites, the construction of a satellite manufacturing facility, and the development of supporting software. Piesat will also provide technical support to help Pakistan develop independent capabilities in satellite manufacturing, operations, and applications.
https://x.com/OSPSF/status/1966185602002436499
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Pakistan, China sign $4bn MoUs in agriculture
https://www.dawn.com/news/1940384
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China have inked more than two dozen memorandums of understanding (MoU) worth $4 billion in the agriculture sector, focusing on mechanisation, seed development, smart farming and precision agriculture for data-driven productivity gains.
The MoUs were signed on Saturday during the Pak-China Business-to-Business Conference in Beijing, witnessed by Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Hussain emphasised that these areas are crucial for strengthening Pakistan’s food security while also opening new avenues for bilateral cooperation.
The one-day conference, held on the sidelines of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to China, featured an opening and closing ceremony as well as multiple business-to-business sessions. The minister participated in a dozen meetings with leading Chinese and Pakistani agri-industry players.
These included Dayu working in irrigation sector, Jessica EV, PIESAT, and LOVOL in agricultural machinery sector, Sanyang Company Xinjiang, Jinghua Seed Industry Company Ltd, Guard Agricultural Research and Services (Pvt) Limited, and China State Engineering Construction Corporation GDSP, among others.
Chinese media reports said shares of PIESAT surged after the Chinese aerospace firm signed a $406.4m agreement with Pakistan — nearly double the company’s total revenue last year — to help build a satellite constellation for better communication and Earth data.
Under the agreement, PIESAT will assist Pakistan in constructing an integrated satellite system for global real-time communication and remote sensing. The first phase includes the launch and operation of 20 satellites, the construction of a satellite manufacturing facility, and the development of supporting software. PIESAT will also provide technical support to help Pakistan develop independent capabilities in satellite manufacturing, operations, and applications.
Highlighting China’s $215bn annual agricultural import market, the minister said that Pakistan can play a significant role in supplying tropical and temperate fruits, vegetables, and cereal crops. He stressed that Pakistan, as China’s closest neighbour and a “brotherly country,” offers geographical proximity and competitive pricing advantages compared to imports from Brazil and other Western countries.
He praised the initiatives of both Pakistani and Chinese agricultural companies under the leadership of PM Shehbaz, reaffirming Islamabad’s commitment to fostering long-term agri-sector partnerships with Beijing
Pakistan hyper-spectral satellite Imran Shah kazmi on TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTM2xm98x/
AI Overview
Hyperspectral imaging is a technique that captures an image and, for each pixel, provides a detailed spectrum of light, revealing the material's chemical composition and physical properties. Unlike multispectral imaging, which uses only a few broad wavelength bands, hyperspectral imaging uses many narrow, contiguous bands to create a "data cube" that functions like a continuous spectrum for each pixel, enabling the precise identification of objects, materials, and their conditions. This technology has diverse applications in fields like agriculture, food processing, environmental monitoring, medicine, and waste sorting.
AI Overview
Pakistan set to launch hyperspectral satellite in October
Pakistan's Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) is set to launch its first modern hyperspectral satellite in October 2025. This satellite will capture detailed information on Earth's surface composition and will be used for agriculture, mineral exploration, and disaster management by providing precise data on soil, plants, water quality, and more. The launch marks a significant advancement in Pakistan's space technology capabilities, allowing for enhanced natural resource management, national security, and response to climate events.
Key Features and Applications
Agriculture: Provides farmers with real-time data on soil health, crop status, and water quality, promoting sustainable practices.
Mineral Exploration: Helps map resources like copper and rare earths.
Disaster Management: Enables accurate tracking of events such as floods, earthquakes, and glacier melting.
Environmental Research: Aids in monitoring pollution and climate change factors.
National Security: Offers enhanced surveillance and geospatial intelligence.
Significance
Technological Leap: Positions Pakistan among nations with advanced space-based data capabilities.
Self-Reliance: A step towards a data-driven and self-reliant Pakistan.
Economic and Security Benefits: Links technology, economy, and security through data-driven insights.
Pakistan launches its first hyperspectral satellite | Space News | Al Jazeera
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/19/pakistan-launches-its-first-hyperspectral-satellite
Pakistan has sent its first-ever hyperspectral satellite into orbit, a “major milestone” it says will help advance national objectives from agriculture to urban planning.
The country’s space agency, SUPARCO, announced the “successful launch” of the H1 satellite from northwestern China’s Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre on Sunday.
Hyperspectral satellites can detect subtle chemical or material changes on the ground that traditional satellites cannot, making them especially useful for things like tracking crop quality, water resources or damage from natural disasters.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the technology is expected to “significantly enhance national capacities” in fields like precision agriculture, environmental monitoring, urban planning and disaster management.
It said its ability to pinpoint geohazard risks will also contribute to development initiatives such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which seeks to build infrastructure linking China’s northwestern Xinjiang province with Pakistan’s Gwadar Port.
The data from the Hyperspectral Satellite is poised to revolutionise agricultural productivity, bolster climate resilience, and enable optimised management of the country’s vital natural resources,” SUPARCO chairman Muhammad Yousuf Khan was quoted as saying in Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper.
Pakistan also hailed H1’s deployment as a “pivotal step forward” in its space programme, as well as a reflection of its longstanding partnership with China in the “peaceful exploration of space”.
“The mission reflects the ever-growing strategic partnership and deep-rooted friendship between the two nations, who continue to cooperate in advancing peaceful space exploration and harnessing its benefits for socioeconomic development,” said the Foreign Ministry.
The mission is part of a recent push in Pakistan to grow its space programme, which has sent three satellites into orbit this year, according to SUPARCO.
The two other satellites – EO-1 and KS-1 – are “fully operational in orbit”, reported Pakistan’s The News International newspaper.
It may take about two months to calibrate the H1 satellite’s systems before it is fully operational this year, according to a SUPARCO spokesperson quoted in Pakistani media.
Mario Nawfal
@MarioNawfal
🚨🇵🇰 PAKISTAN JUST LAUNCHED ITS FIRST-EVER EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITE
Pakistan just entered a new space era with the successful launch of PRSC HS-1, its first hyperspectral Earth observation satellite.
The satellite lifted off from China’s Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre on a Kinetica-1 rocket.
PRSC HS-1 can analyse Earth’s surface in hundreds of spectral bands, tracking crops, water, minerals, pollution, and more with scientific precision.
This marks a major leap for SUPARCO and Pakistan’s growing space program.
Think of it as Earth’s MRI scanner, and Pakistan now has the tech.
Source:
@OSPSF
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/status/1980046305335390214
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AI Overview
A hyperspectral satellite is an Earth observation satellite that uses advanced imaging technology to capture hundreds of narrow, contiguous spectral bands of light, creating a detailed "spectral fingerprint" for every point on the ground. This allows it to analyze the physical and chemical composition of materials and detect subtle differences invisible to the naked eye or traditional cameras. Applications include agriculture, environmental monitoring, geology, and disaster management.
How it works
Hundreds of bands: Unlike RGB cameras that see red, green, and blue, or even multispectral sensors that use up to 36 broad bands, a hyperspectral sensor captures data across hundreds of very narrow bands of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Spectral fingerprint: By stacking these hundreds of narrow images, the satellite creates a 3D "spectral cube" for each pixel, where the third dimension is the spectral information. This provides a unique spectral signature for every material, from types of plants to minerals to water.
Detailed analysis: This high spectral resolution allows for the identification and analysis of specific materials based on their unique light-reflecting properties. For example, a hyperspectral satellite can distinguish between different tree species or detect the early signs of drought stress in a crop.
Key applications
Agriculture: Monitoring crop health, assessing soil conditions, and detecting drought stress or disease before they are visible.
Geology: Mapping mineral deposits, providing precise geochemical data, and reducing exploration costs.
Environmental monitoring: Tracking water quality, detecting pollutants, and monitoring changes in land use.
Disaster management: Assessing damage from natural disasters and monitoring geohazard risks.
Other areas: Forestry, climate change research, defense, and security.
Hyperspectral imaging Applications in Defense and Security
https://headwallphotonics.com/hyperspectral-imaging-applications-in-defense-security/
Our hyperspectral imaging sensors are used across a variety of defense and government applications. These include small satellites, high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, and medium-altitude commercial aircraft. They are also used aboard many medium- and low-altitude UAVs.
In addition, these small, lightweight, customized Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) sensors can be used on the ground and in vehicles for checkpoint inspections, spectral tagging, border control, and more.
Finally, aircraft and naval vessel corrosion detection is an emerging hyperspectral imaging military application thanks to its ability to deliver high-resolution spectral and spatial data that targets the evidence of metal corrosion.
Reconnaissance and surveillance missions need to rapidly process, exploit, and distribute hyperspectral data from satellites, aircraft and drones. Headwall meets this need with small, lightweight COTS sensors delivering extremely high spectral and spatial resolution across a wide field of view.
In the field, detecting chemical and biological threats calls upon a multi-sensor approach covering spectral ranges from UV-VIS to SWIR. Headwall meets this need with spectral, fluorescence and Raman technologies.
Metal corrosion on aircraft and naval vessels is costly and difficult to detect. Hyperspectral imaging is a proven technology that can identify early signs of corrosion and metal fatigue, providing reduced cost and greater operational uptime for expensive airborne and maritime assets.
Will Pakistan’s hyperspectral satellite help the Pakistani military?
Yes, Pakistan's new hyperspectral satellite (HS-1) is expected to help its military by enhancing its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, although official statements emphasize civilian applications.
Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technology provides a significant advantage in military applications because it can detect subtle material differences and anomalies that are invisible to the human eye or conventional cameras.
Potential Military Applications
Enhanced Surveillance and Reconnaissance: The satellite can capture data across hundreds of narrow spectral bands, creating detailed "molecular fingerprints" of objects and terrain. This allows for improved surveillance of borders and critical infrastructure.
Detection of Concealed Objects and Camouflage: Artificial materials like military coatings or textiles have different spectral signatures than natural vegetation or soil. The HSI sensor can detect these subtle variations, making it possible to identify hidden equipment, camouflaged vehicles, or concealed positions that blend in visually.
Identification of Chemical and Environmental Threats: The technology can detect specific chemical residues or invisible gases, offering an early warning system for potential chemical warfare agents or hazardous materials, thereby protecting ground forces.
Target Acquisition and Classification: HSI data helps in quickly and precisely identifying military targets. Algorithms can use known spectral signatures to differentiate military vehicles from civilian ones or identify specific types of equipment, reducing the risk of false positives.
Terrain Analysis: The satellite can help categorize terrain and vegetation types, which is useful for military planning, such as determining if the ground can support the movement of heavy military vehicles or detecting disturbed soil that could indicate hidden improvised explosive devices (IEDs) or mines.
Intelligence and Post-Conflict Assessment: The rapid processing and distribution of high-fidelity hyperspectral data enhances real-time decision-making for commanders and aids in assessing damage after a conflict.
AI Overview
Pakistan operates remote sensing and Earth observation satellites, including some launched in partnership with China like the PRSS-1 in 2018, which are used for civilian purposes such as disaster response, agriculture, and resource management. The country also launched its own remote sensing satellite, PRSC-EO1, in partnership with China in early 2025, along with a hyperspectral satellite called HS-1 which was set to launch in October 2025. While these satellites have applications in areas like infrastructure development and national planning, some reports indicate they were also intended to monitor India.
Examples of Pakistan's spy and remote sensing satellites:
PRSS-1: A remote sensing satellite launched in 2018 by China for Pakistan. It is used for land and resource surveying and natural disaster monitoring.
PakTES-1A: A scientific experiment satellite launched in 2018 along with the PRSS-1.
PRSC-EO1: A remote sensing satellite launched in January 2025 that provides high-resolution Earth imagery.
Badr-1: The first satellite launched by Pakistan in 1990, which provided a foundation for future developments in satellite technology.
Badr-B: A more advanced satellite that followed Badr-1, with a camera to take pictures of Earth.
HS-1: A hyperspectral satellite to be launched in October 2025 that will provide detailed information for agriculture and urban planning.
Applications of these satellites:
Disaster management: Monitoring floods, earthquakes, and other natural disasters to provide early warnings and assist with rapid response.
Agriculture: Monitoring crop health, soil moisture, and irrigation patterns to improve food security.
Urban planning: Monitoring infrastructure growth and land use for sustainable city planning.
Resource management: Monitoring water resources and other natural resources to support national planning.
Infrastructure development: Providing data to support infrastructure development, such as mapping transportation networks for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Pakistan’s Deal With PIESAT Could Signal a Civilian-Led Satellite Program
https://quwa.org/podcasts/defence-uncut/pakistans-deal-with-piesat-could-signal-a-civilian-led-satellite-program/
https://youtu.be/jICh_WjzM0E?si=469daqQnqy4fDf_3
Pakistan signed a $406 million USD deal with China’s PIESAT for a constellation of over 20 imaging and communication satellites, a move that signals a profound shift in its strategic posture.
The agreement, which includes a full transfer-of-technology (ToT) for in-country satellite manufacturing, is poised to provide the Pakistani military with a sovereign, persistent imaging intelligence (IMINT) capability. In this Defence Uncut episode, the Quwa team breaks down the technical underpinnings of this deal, its direct link to the new Army Rocket Force Command (ARFC), and the organizational paradigm shift it represents for Pakistan’s space ambitions.
The Technology: Formation-Flying for Near Real-Time Awareness
At the heart of the PIESAT deal is a sophisticated approach to satellite imaging based on Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR).
As aerospace engineer Aseem ul-Islam explained, this technology leverages multiple satellites flying in precise formation to function as a single, giant synthetic aperture. “You fly multiple satellites in orbit in formation and you use the spread of those satellites to fake a giant aperture,” he noted, comparing the principle to the Event Horizon Telescope that captured the first image of a black hole by using radio telescopes across the entire planet.
This method has a decisive advantage: it decouples the satellite’s achievable image resolution from its orbital speed. Traditional single-satellite SAR systems face a complex trade-off between altitude, speed, and resolution. By using a formation, PIESAT’s design allows the constellation to be placed in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) – likely between 250 and 400 km altitude – enabling much faster revisit times over a target area without sacrificing image quality.
While PIESAT’s official data states a resolution of 0.5 meters, Chinese media reports indicate a larger 54-satellite version of the constellation could achieve a global revisit rate of just 60 minutes. For Pakistan, its initial 20-satellite acquisition implies a clear intent to establish a persistent regional surveillance net with revisit rates well under one day, fundamentally changing its ability to monitor adversary movements.
For more on Pakistan’s current remote sensing capabilities, see With PRSC-S1 Satellite Launch Pakistan Quietly Builds its Presence in Space.
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