| Mission type | Communications |
|---|---|
| Operator | SUPARCO |
| Mission duration | 15 years (planned) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Paksat-MM1R |
| Spacecraft type | Communication satellite |
| Manufacturer | China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 30 May 2024, 12:12UTC |
| Rocket | Long March 3B |
| Launch site | Xichang Satellite Launch Centre, China |
| Entered service | 18 September 2024 |
| Transponders | |
| Band | C, Ku, Ka and L Bands |
ThePaksat-MM1 is a Pakistanicommunication satellite, which was launched on 30 May 2024.[1][2] This mission was a joint effort of theSpace and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) and theChina Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.[3] The satellite was launched from China'sXichang Satellite Launch Centre.[4] On 18 September 2024,Minister of State for Information Technology and TelecommunicationShaza Fatima Khawaja announced that the satellite had successfully completed testing and had become operational.[5]
Before launch, the satellite was designatedPakSAT-MM 1R, but at launch it was referred to asPakSAT-MM 1.
The satellite was launched on aLM-3B launch vehicle, which was the 96th launch of the LM-3B launch vehicle and the 524th launch of theLong March family.[6]
The satellite was developed byChina Academy of Space Technology (CAST), a subsidiary ofCASC. It is based on theDFH-4E satellite platform with a liftoff mass of 5,400 kg, and equipped with 9 antennas and 48 transponders in C, Ku, Ka, and L bands. It can provide various services such as broadcasting, regional enhanced communications, high-throughput broadband and thesatellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) services etc. The satellite will be positioned at 38.2° E orbit slot, covering the mainland and surrounding areas ofPakistan, parts of the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, East Africa, and parts of Europe, with a service life of 15 years.[7]
The total deliverable capacity of Ka-Band is 10 Gbit/s covering the whole of Pakistan. There is no steerable beam in Ka-HTS payload. Maximum throughput achievable on a single beam is approx. 1 Gbit/s. User beams are fixed and cannot be steered over any particular area. For PakSat-MM1 HTS, three Gateway beams have been designed overLahore,Karachi andIslamabad with gateway beam of 0.08°. It is recommended to install two gateways (one primary and other as back up). However, PakSat-MM1 HTS has been designed in such a way that one GW can handle all the traffic of 11 user beams.[8]
 Pakistani Space Program | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organizations |
| ||||||||
| Space centres | |||||||||
| Satellites |
| ||||||||
| Space missions | |||||||||
| Launch vehicles | |||||||||
| Space observatories | |||||||||
| Spaceports | |||||||||
| People | |||||||||
| History and policy | |||||||||