Paksat-1R

PAKSAT-1R

Operator	Pakistan's Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission
Major contractors	SUPARCO (Pakistan) CASC (China)
Bus	DFH-4
Mission type	Communications satellite
Launch date	11 August 2011
Carrier rocket	Long March 3B (CZ-3B)
Launch site	Xichang Satellite Launch Centre
COSPAR ID	2011-042A
Homepage	PAKSAT
Mass	1,050 kilograms (2,300 lb)
Orbital elements
Regime	geosynchronous Circular orbit
Inclination	0°.0
Apoapsis	35,600 kilometres (22,100 mi)
Periapsis	35,600 kilometres (22,100 mi)
Orbital period	1436 minutes
Instruments
Main instruments	30 Communication Transponders (12 in C-band and 18 in Ku-band)

Paksat-1R (PAKSAT-1Replacement) is a geosynchronous communications satellite operated by Pakistan's Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission. It was launched on 11 August 2011 aboard a Long March 3B/E carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in China's Sichuan province. It is expected to replace PAKSAT-1 in geostationary orbit at 38° East.^[1][2]

PAKSAT-1R will support all conventional and modern Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) applications, with a total of 30 Communication Transponders (12 in C band and 18 in K_u band).^[3][4]

The satellite will be operated from the SUPARCO Satellite Ground Station. To ensure high degree of reliability/availability of the system, two fully redundant Satellite Ground Control Stations (SGCS) were established by SUPARCO in Karachi and Lahore, one to act as the Main and the other as Backup respectively.

PAKSAT-1R has a design life of 15 years and will provide broadband Internet, digital television broadcasting, remote and rural telephony, emergency communications, tele-education and tele-medicine services across South and Central Asia, Eastern Europe, East Africa and the Far East. The satellite will enable extension of communication services to all areas of Pakistan.^[5][6]

History

Main articles: Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission#History and PAKSAT-1

The research in space programme at the Punjab University, following the successful launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957. In 1961, Military Government of Pakistan led by Field Marshal Ayub Khan established the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) under the advice of Abdus Salam. Since then, the research activities were began as series of rocket testing began. In 1986, Suparco developed the first locally and ingeniously built Badr-I, that was launched in 1990 by People's Republic of China.

In December 2001, Suparco attained Palapa C1 as PAKSAT-1. After an anomaly in the electrical system of the satellite on 24 November 1998 and the failure of a module for controlling the hydro accumulators, the Hughes Global Services (HGS) had taken over on the HS-601 satellite bus. The HGS managed to developed and implementation of a strategy that allowed the continued use of the satellite in geostationary orbit without too much restrictions. Eventually by Pakistan as a PAKSAT-1 satellite is currently leased to a location at 38° East in geostationary orbit since April 2004 and be active. In 2012, the satellite will be inactive and will be decommissioned from its services. The PAKSAT-1R satellite is planned to replace the PAKSAT-1 satellite completely in 2012. The PAKSAT-1R launch is part of the 2040 Pakistan Space Program.

Prototype

Although the satellite was developed in China, a prototype of PAKSAT-IR was developed by SUPARCO at it's Satellite Research & Development Center (SRDC) Lahore.^[7] The project was aimed to enhance the know-how of young scientists and engineers about communication satellite engineering.^[7] Prototype PakSat-1R is a communication satellite, which has three C-band Transponders as the communication payload. All the subsystems have been designed and developed indigenously.^[7] Integration and testing have also been performed. Suparco reported that the project was completed in three years.^[7]

Current Status

China launched PAKSAT-1R for Pakistan’s SUPARCO (Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission) on August 11 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, in Sichuan Province, China. The launch of Paksat-1R was conducted by the Long March 3B/E (Chang Zheng-3B/E) launch vehicle. In 2010, China provided loans for setting up the advance communication facilities at Satellite Ground Station (SGS).^[8]

Specifications

The Paksat-1R satellite is based on the DFH-4 platform, with a launch mass around 5,200 kg. The satellite will be positioned at 38.0 degrees East, replacing the Paksat-1 (23779 1996-006A), which was launched as Palapa-C on January 31, 1996, by an Atlas-IIAS (AC-126) from Cape Canaveral’s LC-36B launch complex. Paksat-1R was manufactured by the China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC), after being ordered in October 15th, 2008 – with a contract signed with the China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC). The PakSat-1R contract was the third communications satellite contract signed by China’s space industry with international customers. It is also China’s first satellite in-orbit delivery contract signed with an Asian customer.

The satellite will support all conventional and modern Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) applications, with a total of up to 30 transponders: 18 in Ku-band and 12 in C-band. To ensure high degree of reliability/availability of the system, two fully redundant Satellite Ground Control Stations (SGCS) were established in Karachi and Lahore, one to act as the Main and the other as Backup respectively.

The DFH-4 (DongFangHong-4) platform is a large telecommunications satellite platform – a new generation of hardware based on high output power and communication capacity, ranking alongside international advanced satellite platforms. The applications for the DFH-4 platform aren’t limited to high capacity broadcast communication satellites and can be used to tracking and data relay satellites, regional mobile communication satellites, etc. The platform comprises propulsion module, service module and solar array. It has a payload capacity of 588 kg and an output power of 10.5 kW by the end of its lifetime. Its design lifetime is 15 years and its reliability by the end of its lifetime is more than 0.78.

Based on versatility, inheritance, expandability and promptness principles and mature technology, the platform will meet the needs of international and domestic large communication satellite markets. The satellite is equipped with three receiver antennas and two transmission antennas. It can support the transmission of 150-200 TV programs simultaneously to ground users using a 0.45m antenna device.^[9]

Launch

PAKSAT-1R was launched at 2117 hours on 11 August 2011 aboard China’s Long March 3B (CZ-3B) Satellite Launch Vehicle from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in China's Sichuan Province.^[10]

The launch was witnessed by, among others, Pakistan's Secretary Defence, Lt. Gen. Syed Athar Ali (R), Secretary Foreign Affairs, Salman Bashir, Director General, Strategic Plans Division, Lt. Gen. Khalid Ahmed Kidwai (R) and the Ambassador of Pakistan to China, Muhammad Masood Khan.^[11]

Reception

The reception perceived in Pakistan science community and in the country was generally positive.^[12] However, leading scientists in Pakistan gave criticism to Suparco for not able to launch the satellite from Pakistan's Flight Space Center and questioned were raised whether space programme is on the right track.^[12] In a press release, Suparco dismissed the concerns and maintained that the program is being directed on its right direction.^[12] Commenting on the launch of the satellite,The Tribune wrote, what Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) has achieved today could have been done 30 years ago.^[12]

References

1. ^ http://italk.pk/post/2011/08/12/Pakistan’s-first-Communications-Satellite-PAKSAT-1R-launched.aspx
2. ^ http://www.dawn.com/2011/08/11/pakistans-first-communications-satellite-paksat-1r-launched.html
3. ^ http://italk.pk/post/2011/08/12/Pakistan’s-first-Communications-Satellite-PAKSAT-1R-launched.aspx
4. ^ http://www.dawn.com/2011/08/11/pakistans-first-communications-satellite-paksat-1r-launched.html
5. ^ http://italk.pk/post/2011/08/12/Pakistan’s-first-Communications-Satellite-PAKSAT-1R-launched.aspx
6. ^ http://www.dawn.com/2011/08/11/pakistans-first-communications-satellite-paksat-1r-launched.html
7. ^ ^{a b c d} "Development Programmes: PakSat-IR Prototype" (Webcache). SUPARCO. Press Release. March 11, 2008. http://74.6.117.48/search/srpcache?ei=UTF-8&p=Paksat-1R&xa=DmZm37D4pwpVg77.Z6e1qw--%2C1300578188&fr=mcsaoffblock&u=http://cc.bingj.com/cache.aspx?q=Paksat-1R&d=4814564025503138&mkt=en-US&setlang=en-US&w=e870352b,9b7e6883&icp=1&.intl=us&sig=89MPfa59UEzgFruPEmdK9w--. Retrieved 2011. 
8. ^ "China provides loan for satellite ground control segment". The Nation: pp. 1. October 30, 2010. http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Politics/30-Oct-2010/China-provides-loan-for-satellite-ground-control-segment. 
9. ^ "China debuts partnership with Pakistan – Long March launches Paksat-1R". NASAspaceflight.com. http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/08/china-debuts-partnership-pakistan-long-march-launches-paksat-1r/. Retrieved 11 August 2011. 
10. ^ http://www.dawn.com/2011/08/11/pakistans-first-communications-satellite-paksat-1r-launched.html
11. ^ http://www.dawn.com/2011/08/11/pakistans-first-communications-satellite-paksat-1r-launched.html
12. ^ ^{a b c d} Siddiqui, Salman (August 12, 2011). "PAKSAT-1R: China launches Pakistan’s first GEO communications satellite" (in English). The Express Tribune (Karachi, Sindh Province of Pakistan: Century Publications): pp. 1. http://tribune.com.pk/story/229797/paksat-1r-china-launches-pakistans-first-communications-satellite/. Retrieved October 12, 2011. 

External links

• PAKSAT-1R
• Pakistan's PAKSAT-R
• [1]
• PAKSAT-1R Prototype
• PAKSAT-1R launch date
• SUPARCO to launch Paksat 1R satellite
• New communication satellite ‘PakSat-1R’ important for many reasons: Khan
• Pakistan’s first Communications Satellite PAKSAT-1R launched