Paksat-MM1R

Paksat-MM1R

Mission type	Communications
Operator	SUPARCO
Mission duration	15 years (planned)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Paksat-MM1R
Spacecraft type	Communication satellite
Manufacturer	China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
Start of mission
Launch date	30 May 2024, 12:12 UTC
Rocket	Long March 3B
Launch site	Xichang Satellite Launch Centre, China
Entered service	18 September 2024
Transponders
Band	C, Ku, Ka and L Bands
Paksat-constellation

The Paksat-MM1 is a Pakistani communication satellite, which was launched on 30 May 2024.^[1][2] This mission was a joint effort of the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) and the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.^[3] The satellite was launched from China's Xichang Satellite Launch Centre.^[4] On 18 September 2024, Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja announced that the satellite had successfully completed testing and is now operational.^[5]

Naming

Before launch, the satellite was designated PakSAT-MM 1R, but at launch it was referred to as PakSAT-MM 1.

The satellite was launched on LM-3B launch vehicle, which was the 96th launch of the LM-3B launch vehicle and the 524th launch of the Long March family.^[6]

Details

The satellite was developed by China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), a subsidiary of CASC. It is based on the DFH-4E satellite platform with a liftoff mass of 5,400 kg, and equipped with 9 antennas and 48 transponders in C, Ku, Ka, and L bands. It can provide various services such as broadcasting, regional enhanced communications, high-throughput broadband and the Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) services etc. The satellite will be positioned at 38.2° E orbit slot, covering the mainland and surrounding areas of Pakistan, parts of the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, East Africa, and parts of Europe, with a service life of 15 years.^[7]

Total deliverable capacity of Ka-Band is 10 Gbps covering whole Pakistan, there is no steerable beam in Ka-HTS payload. Maximum throughput achievable on a single beam is approx. 1 Gbps. User beams are fixed and cannot be steered over any particular area. For PakSat-MM1 HTS, three Gateway beams have been designed over Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad with gateway beam of 0.08°. It is recommended to install two gateways (one primary and other as back up). However, PakSat-MM1 HTS has been designed in such a way that one GW can handle all the traffic of 11 user beams.^[8]

References

1. "PAKSAT MM-1: Pakistan set to launch second satellite into space". 29 May 2024.
2. "Pakistan's second communication satellite PAKSAT MM-1 launched into space". 30 May 2024.
3. "Suparco to launch satellite mission 'PAKSAT MM1' on 30th". 27 May 2024.
4. "Pakistan launches another modern communication satellite into space".
5. "Pakistan's first multi-mission satellite, PAKSAT-MM1, becomes operational". tribune.com.pk. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
6. "CGWIC Successfully Launches PAKSAT-MM1 by LM-3B Launch Vehicle". 2024-05-30.
7. "PakSAT-MM 1". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
8. "PAKSAT-MM1 – PAKSAT International". Retrieved 2024-08-03.