Pakistan’s first multi-mission satellite becomes operational

Pakistan’s first multi-mission satellite, PAKSAT MM1 has become operational successfully under the facilitation of Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).

The operationalisation of the satellite is an important milestone in the country’s space and digital development landscape. The success of PAKSAT-MM1 will transform Pakistan’s communication infrastructure, which will benefit various IT sectors.

The satellite will provide services such as television broadcasting, mobile phone service, community internet, and tele-education to promote local industries. This satellite will also increase internet connectivity in remote areas which will further the government’s vision of Digital Pakistan.

In the United Nations E-Governance Development Index, Pakistan has improved its ranking by 14 points. The country now stands at 136 in overall ranking which was at 150 in 2022.  Earlier, Pakistan’s historic lunar mission (ICUBE-Q) was launched on May 3 on board China’s Chang’E6 from Hainan, China.

The satellite iCube-Qamar mission marked Pakistan’s first lunar exploration effort which is a significant milestone for the country’s space endeavours.

The satellite iCube-Q was designed and developed by the Institute of Space Technology (IST) in collaboration with China’s Shanghai University SJTU and Pakistan’s national space agency SUPARCO.