SUPARCO to Replace Paksat-1R with New Satellite on December 25

Pakistan’s national space agency, the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), is set to launch a new Earth Observation satellite on 25 December 2025, in what officials describe as a significant advancement for the country’s space-based imaging and geospatial capabilities.

Pakistan is set to replace its aging communications satellite, Paksat-1R, with a new satellite, scheduled for launch on December 25.

Paksat-1R, launched in August 2011, had a design life of 15 years and has now reached the end of its operational period.

The new satellite aims to strengthen geospatial services, enhance satellite imagery capabilities, and boost the country’s Earth-observation capacity.

It is also expected to support improved high-speed communications, indirectly benefiting broadband and digital connectivity nationwide.

The mission is being hailed as a key milestone in Pakistan’s space programme, building on the success of PakSat-MM1, which took over Paksat-1R’s communications role after its launch in May 2024.

SUPARCO has also been expanding its Earth observation capabilities, having launched two remote-sensing satellites, EO-1 and KS-1, in July 2025.

The upcoming satellite is part of this next generation of space systems designed to advance Pakistan’s technological and digital infrastructure.

It is noteworthy that SUPARCO has already entered the hyperspectral domain with its first hyperspectral satellite, HS-1, launched on 19 October 2025 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in China.

HS-1 employs advanced imaging technology capable of capturing data across hundreds of spectral bands, enabling highly detailed monitoring for agriculture, disaster response, urban planning and environmental assessment.