Pakistan to Launch Hyperspectral Satellite in October

Pakistan will launch a new hyperspectral satellite next month. The system will support mineral mapping, farming, forestry, wildlife studies, flood tracking, glacier melt, and pollution research.

Faster and Cheaper Surveys

SUPARCO Chairman Muhammad Yousaf Khan said the satellite will read light in many wavelengths. This data will reveal details about minerals, crops, soil, and water.

“Work that once took years and millions of dollars will now finish in days and at far less cost,” he said. “Pakistan can now map its mineral wealth on its own.”

Pakistan’s Role in OIC Space Work

The news came at a five-day training workshop in Lahore. The event is run under ASNET (Intra-Islamic Network on Space Sciences and Technology). Participants came from Iraq, Senegal, Libya, Türkiye, and Tunisia.

Khan said Pakistan is now a leading country in the OIC for space and imaging.

Training with Open-Source Tools

Dr. Muhammad Mansha, head of web apps at SUPARCO, explained that open-source GIS tools are vital.

“This training helps experts use satellite images for farming, environment, and disaster relief,” he said. “It will guide quick and fact-based decisions.”

He added that hyperspectral images carry hundreds of data bands per pixel. The tech is already used worldwide for climate, species, and pollution checks.

Expanding Future Capacity

Pakistan already has remote sensing satellites. The hyperspectral system will multiply these abilities.

Guests praised the Lahore workshop for building skills and promoting teamwork among OIC states.

SUPARCO officials believe the satellite will boost Pakistan’s global space profile and make it a regional model.

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