On January 16, China successfully launched Pakistan's first satellite of a three-satellite remote sensing constellation. The launch, conducted from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, also included two domestic Chinese spacecraft. A Long March 2D rocket propelled the payloads into orbit at 11:07 p.m. Eastern (0407 UTC, Jan. 17).
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) confirmed the successful launch. The payloads included the international satellite for Pakistan and two for Chinese commercial companies, facilitated by the China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) under CASC. CGWIC holds a multi-launch contract with Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) for this constellation, initiated in 2022.
Designated PRSC-EO1, this is the first of three optical remote sensing satellites for Pakistan. It joins existing Pakistani satellites, PRSS-1 and PakTES-1A, in orbit. According to SUPARCO, these satellites will provide valuable data for land mapping, agriculture, urban planning, environmental monitoring, disaster management, surveying, and natural resource protection.
The close space collaboration between China and Pakistan is further highlighted by Pakistan's participation in China’s International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) project, announced in October 2023. This launch also carried two additional satellites: DAO-1 (Tianlu-1), developed by Galaxy Space, and Blue Carbon-1 (Lantan-1), developed by Geespace.
This marked China’s third orbital launch of the year, following the Shijian-25 launch on January 6 and ten navigation augmentation satellites on January 13. While CASC’s 2025 plans are yet to be detailed, they anticipate major missions including the crewed Shenzhou-20 and -21, Tianzhou cargo spacecraft missions, and the Tianwen-2 asteroid sample return mission, expected around May.