As of October 2026, Pakistan operates at least seven satellites in orbit, a mix of two geostationary communications platforms and five recently launched remote‑sensing craft.
Pakistan’s orbital inventory and program ownership
The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) oversees Pakistan’s satellite program. Chinese rockets have launched every satellite in the current fleet. The active inventory includes two GEO communications satellites — PakSat-1R and PakSat-MM1 — and five remote‑sensing satellites launched since January 2025: PRSC-EO1, PRSC-S1, HS-1, PRSC-EO2 and PRSC-EO3. PRSS-1 and PakTES-1A, both launched on 9 July 2018, may still be in orbit but their operating status is unconfirmed.
PakSat‑MM1, PakSat‑1R and Pak‑SBAS
PakSat-MM1, launched on 30 May 2024 from Xichang by a Long March 3B rocket, was declared operational by SUPARCO on 18 September 2024. Stationed at 38.2°E in GEO, it carries 48 transponders across C, Ku and Ka bands and includes an L‑band SBAS payload that rebroadcasts navigation corrections for GPS and BeiDou. Pakistan’s Pak‑SBAS uses PakSat‑MM1 to send L1 (GPS), L5 (GPS and BeiDou) and B2b (BeiDou) correction signals. SUPARCO presented a Pak‑SBAS status paper to ICAO in May 2025; testing and commissioning took place in September 2024, and SUPARCO publicly unveiled the service on 15 February 2026, reporting sub‑metre positioning accuracy at the 2026 Cholistan Rally.
PakSat-1R — launched 12 August 2011 — continues to operate despite having exceeded its 15‑year design life in August 2026. Pakistan has filed for a replacement, PakSat‑2, with an orbital filing and received CDWP in‑principle approval on 25 June 2026; the project was referred to ECNEC on 11 September 2026. Reported project cost is Rs 37.19 billion (approximately USD $134 million), and a launch date remains unannounced.
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End the scramblePRSC‑EOS series and PRSC‑EO3’s capabilities and orbit
SUPARCO’s PRSC‑EOS electro‑optical constellation comprises PRSC‑EO1, PRSC‑EO2 and PRSC‑EO3. PRSC‑EO1 reached orbit on 17 January 2025 (Long March 2D, Jiuquan); PRSC‑EO2 launched on 12 February 2026 from a sea‑platform Smart Dragon‑3 mission; and PRSC‑EO3 completed the series on 25 April 2026 (Long March 6, Taiyuan). SUPARCO lists a five‑year design life for each PRSC‑EO satellite. PRSC‑EO3, reported to weigh over 500 kg, is Pakistan’s largest domestically developed satellite and carries experimental systems including an onboard AI processor, a Multi‑Geometry Imaging Module and an advanced energy storage system. COMSPOC tracking placed PRSC‑EO3 in a ~554 km orbit with roughly 38° inclination, a departure from typical sun‑synchronous inclinations; Quwa’s analysis interprets this as increasing revisit frequency between 20° and 40° north.
PRSC‑S1, HS‑1 and the emerging sensor triad
Pakistan’s remote‑sensing fleet now uses three sensor classes. PRSC‑S1, launched 31 July 2025 on a Kuaizhou‑1A from Xichang, is identified by Quwa as Pakistan’s first reported SAR satellite, developed with China Electronics Technology Group Corporation and MICROSAT China; SUPARCO’s public material has not published a payload specification. HS‑1, launched 19 October 2025 from Jiuquan on a CAS Space Kinetica‑1 rocket and built primarily by the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Innovation Academy for Microsatellites, is Pakistan’s first hyperspectral satellite. Quwa describes the combination — radar from PRSC‑S1, optical from PRSC‑EO series and hyperspectral from HS‑1 — as a ‘sensor triad’ intended to detect, image and classify changes on the ground, though revisit intervals and many technical parameters remain undisclosed.
The PIESAT InSAR contract and industrial implications
In September 2025 Pakistan signed a framework agreement with China’s PIESAT Information Technology worth CNY 2.9 billion (about USD $406 million) for an integrated system whose first phase includes launching and operating 20 satellites, establishing a satellite factory in Pakistan, and supplying software. Quwa reports the design is an interferometric SAR (InSAR) constellation built from groups of four co‑orbital X‑band SAR satellites arranged in a ‘cartwheel’ formation, targeting near‑hourly revisit over priority areas and delivering imagery to ground within about 20 minutes. The agreement passed through the Ministry of National Food Security and Research; Quwa notes risks of vendor lock‑in and Chinese export controls potentially constraining future access to advanced dual‑use subsystems.
What this means for the PAF Space Command, SUPARCO, and Pakistan’s civil agencies
- PAF Space Command: Quwa reports the PAF Space Command reportedly uses SUPARCO’s dual‑use imaging satellites for ISR and could gain additional utility from higher revisit rates and PIESAT’s InSAR capability, though Pakistan has not publicly declared a dedicated military satellite.
- SUPARCO: The agency is building domestic design capability — PRSC‑EO3 is its largest indigenously developed satellite — while remaining dependent on Chinese launch services and external suppliers for several programs; budget volatility complicates long‑term planning (PSDP allocation fell from USD $235 million in 2024–25 to USD $19.5 million in 2025–26, per Quwa).
- Civil aviation and agricultural agencies: Pak‑SBAS positions SUPARCO, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and the Pakistan Airports Authority to benefit from improved positioning; the PIESAT contract was routed through the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, reflecting intended applications in agriculture and disaster monitoring.
Pakistan’s space posture in October 2026 is defined by rapid fleet growth, heavy reliance on Chinese launch and supply chains, and a shift from single satellites toward constellations and advanced sensors. The immediate questions are practical: will PakSat‑2 receive final approval and funding; can PIESAT’s near‑hourly revisit ambitions be realized domestically; and how quickly SUPARCO and the services can turn richer data streams into timely, usable intelligence on the ground.
