The evolving China-Pakistan space cooperation, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• China and Pakistan have strengthened their space cooperation since 1990, with China launching Pakistan's first satellite, Badr-I.
• In April 2026, Pakistan’s EO-3 satellite was launched from China’s Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center.
• China will send a Pakistani astronaut to the Tiangong space station under a 2025 agreement.
• Pakistan was the first foreign country to use China’s BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) in 2014.

Detailed Insights:

• China has been instrumental in helping Pakistan build its satellite network, launching multiple satellites over the last two decades for reconnaissance and communication purposes.
• The ICUBE-Q, a lunar CubeSat developed jointly by Pakistan’s Institute of Space Technology (IST) and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), successfully captured images of the moon in 2024.

Key Concepts Involved:

• BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS): China's independent global navigation satellite system, offering an alternative to GPS.
• CubeSat: A miniaturized satellite used for space research, typically of a standard size and shape.
• Electro-Optical Satellite: A satellite equipped with sensors to capture images using visible and infrared light.