Pakistan announces launch of first Hyperspectral Satellite from China on Oct 19

Islamabad: Pakistan will launch its first Hyperspectral Satellite (HS-1) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre (JSLC), China, on October 19, the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) announced on Wednesday.

“This landmark mission represents a transformative milestone in Pakistan’s national space programme, propelling the country into a new era of advanced space-based applications in agriculture, disaster management, urban development, and environmental monitoring,” SUPARCO said.

It said that the HS-1 will enable precision farming through high-resolution hyperspectral data acquisition and calibration.“The satellite will provide detailed insights into crop health, soil moisture, and irrigation patterns—enhancing yield estimation by 15–20% and contributing significantly to food security.”

For urban development, SUPARCO said that the satellite’s cutting-edge sensors will help monitor environmental changes, map infrastructure, and assess urban growth patterns.

By capturing unique spectral signatures of man-made structures, HS-1 will support sustainable city planning, land-use assessment, and efficient resource management, it added.

HS-1 will also serve as a vital tool in environmental monitoring and disaster management for early warning and rapid response.

The statement said that the satellites’ advanced imaging capabilities will aid in flood prediction, landslide tracking, and geo-hazard assessment, particularly across the Karakoram Highway and northern Pakistan.

The satellite will also enhance post-disaster assessment, transportation network analysis, and water resource modeling—providing timely data on floods, earthquakes, deforestation, and land degradation, SUPARCO added.