The New Space Age begins in the 21st century, in which states and non-actors compete and cooperate to militarize, control resources, and gain technological advancements. This new age brings opportunities for states like Pakistan that have a legacy of space exploration. China-Pakistan space cooperation in this age is a critical avenue for Pakistan to gain access to advanced space technologies. China-Pakistan friendship, described as “higher than the Himalayas, deeper than the oceans, and sweeter than honey,” has reached “beyond the skies” and into outer space. Although Pak-China cooperation dates back to the mid-20th century, it has flourished and now plays a significant role in Pakistan’s space renaissance. Unlike India, whose space programme is highly militarized, Pakistan’s space programme aims at addressing socio-economic and environmental challenges to achieve sustainable development goals. Pakistan is also an active member of the UN Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).
Pak-China space cooperation grew from limited technological engagement to a structured partnership with deep institutional engagement. The launch of the indigenously built Badar-1 and Badar-b through the Chinese launchpads set the foundation of space cooperation between the two countries. Pakistan’s quest to revive its space programme began in 2010, and China played a meaningful role in achieving it. In 2011, Pakistan launched PAKSAT-1R, a communication satellite, using a Chinese space launch vehicle (SLV). Moreover, remote sensing and Earth observation satellites, PRSS-1 and PakTES-1A, were launched in 2018 by the Chinese Long March SLV. In 2024, iCube-Qamar (a lunar nanosatellite) and PAKSAT-MM1 (Communication Satellite) were launched from China. In recent years, Pakistan also launched the Electro-Optical Earth Observation Satellite EO-1, Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite-S1 PRSC-S1, and a Hyperspectral satellite HS-1 from a Chinese launch station. Besides this, China will send a Pakistani astronaut in its Lunar Mission as per the Pak-China Astronaut Cooperation Agreement. Pakistan is also the first country to deploy and benefit from the Chinese navigation system Beidou. Thus, space cooperation with China is an important pillar of friendly bilateral relations that has evolved over the decades.
Pak-China space cooperation is not just symbolic but a pragmatic approach towards employing space technologies for sustainable development. Space-based technologies offer a practical solution to Pakistan’s environmental, governance, and socio-economic challenges. One of the most significant contributions of this partnership lies in its ability to address Pakistan’s environmental challenges. Pakistan is among the top five vulnerable countries hit by climate change. SUPARCO has established the Space Application Center for Response in Emergency and Disasters (SACRED) that uses satellite infrastructure and international imagery to monitor floods, landslides, earthquakes, droughts, GLOFs, forest fires, and cyclones. This information is utilized by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and other disaster management authorities for pre-disaster preparedness and other relief activities. Space-based infrastructure is playing its role in making Pakistan’s climate resilient.
Space cooperation is transforming traditional practices into data-driven systems in agriculture, water resource management, and forestry. SUPARCO has launched a bulletin, Pakistan Satellite-Based Crop Monitoring System (PAK-SCMS Bulletin), to minimize the impact of environmental crisis on agriculture. Satellite Remote Sensing data offers insight into crop health, weather patterns, soil salinity, and other related problems to enable precision farming, which reduces inefficiency and improves productivity. Since Pakistan is an arid country, water resource management is vital for survival. Satellites have a wide application in monitoring and managing water resources for both agriculture and other domestic uses. Another vital environmental challenge is biodiversity conservation of forests from the Northern mountains to coastal mangroves. Remote sensing has applications in monitoring forest health, afforestation, and deforestation. Thus, space-based data is essential for ensuring sustainable resource management.
Another direct impact of Pak-China space cooperation is evident in urban governance. Rapid urbanization places immense pressure on the structure. Pakistan uses remote sensing data for applications like mapping & monitoring of land urban sprawl modeling, cadastral mapping and surveying, and route planning for roads, railways, pipelines, etc. This helps in evidence-based policymaking to achieve inclusive and sustainable urban development.
Pakistan’s second communication satellite, PAKSAT-MM1, launched from the Chinese Launch Station, is a milestone towards Digital Pakistan. It has multiple applications ranging from communication networks, e-commerce, economic growth, to digital or e-governance. It is a “multi-mission” satellite that operates with various frequency bands, providing services in TV broadcasting, VSAT internet, high-speed internet, and aviation navigation. Most significantly, it broadens the horizon of connectivity to the rural and far-flung areas of Pakistan, paving the way towards e-governance. In a nutshell, Pak-China space cooperation is not just a depiction of the number of joint ventures but a deeply integrated approach that aims to improve lives on the ground. Technological cooperation is the leading feature of the bilateral relation of both countries. From the early stages of satellite development and launching, to human spaceflight missions, from signing up for the Beidou navigation system to the data sharing mechanism, this cooperation has evolved into a deeper structural partnership. Pakistan has effectively harnessed space-based technologies to address its socio-economic, governance, and environmental challenges. These directly contribute to achieving the objectives of Pakistan Space Policy and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This article was published in another form at https://stratheia.com/pakistan-china-space-cooperation-in-the-new-space-age/
Areesha Manzoor is Research Assistant at the Center for International Strategic Studies (CISS), Islamabad.
