The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - World (original) (raw)

Pakistan�s rented satellite enters orbit

Islamabad, December 29
Pakistan�s first satellite, acquired on rental basis from the USA, has reached its orbital position and will be fully functional from the first day of February, a senior official said today.

The satellite re-named as Pak Sat has completed its initial manoeuvres and locked itself in a geo-synchronous orbit, 36,000 km above the earth, Chairman of the National Telecommunication Corporation, Air Vice Marshal Azhar Maud, told a press conference here.

The Pakistani Government acquired the satellite from Hyghes Global Systems (HGS) of the USA in July this year and is paying $ 4.5 million per annum as rental costs.

Pakistani officials have defended the decision to acquire the used HGS synchronous satellite, which has occupied the only remaining slot of Pakistan, which would have expired on the April 19 next year.

�Had Pakistan not launched this satellite, it would have lost all chances of ever being able to put its own satellite in the orbit,� Mr Maud said.

He said reports received from Frequency Allocation Board in Islamabad revealed that the satellite had been stabilised in its new location and its signals were successfully received at the monitoring centres.

Its bacon frequencies are being received at the pelemetery, tracking and control stations in Perth, Australia, after being relayed from England, he said.

Pakistan acquired the use of the in-orbit satellite from HGS to protect its right at the orbital location for a very low cost while planning is taking place for a follow-on satellite to fully exploit the slot.

This is a major event in the history of Pakistan and opens up a new era in the development of space communication technology and its applications for the country, Mr Maud said.

He said the satellite has 30 transponders. The movement of this satellite started on December 5 and it reached 38 degrees east on the 20th of this month.

Though not officially announced, the satellite was also expected to partially meet Pakistan�s requirements for military espionage.

The satellite can be used for telecommunication, TV satellite broadcast and up-linking.

The main users of this satellite will be Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation and it can be useful for increasing internet bandwidth, video conferences by the government in addition to many other fields. PTI