ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national space agency has launched the country’s first Hyperspectral Satellite (HS-1) from the Chinese Satellite Launch Center, the foreign ministry said on Sunday, stressing the technology would help capture data to enhance capabilities in precision agriculture, urban planning and disaster management. 

The foreign ministry said the HS-1 is equipped with advanced hyperspectral imaging technology that can capture data across hundreds of narrow spectral bands. It added that this capability will enable precise monitoring and analysis of land use, vegetation health, water resources and urban development.

“The satellite is expected to significantly enhance national capacities in areas such as precision agriculture, environmental monitoring, urban planning, and disaster management,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said. 

“Its high-resolution data will support improved resource management and strengthen Pakistan’s resilience to climate-related challenges.”

The ministry said HS-1 would also contribute to development initiatives, including the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), an energy and infrastructure network of roads, railways and energy projects connecting China to Pakistan’s Gwadar port. 

“HS-1 will contribute to development initiatives, including the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) by identifying geo-hazard risks and promoting sustainable infrastructure development,” the statement said. 

The foreign ministry said scientists and technical teams from China and Pakistan worked on the HS-1 satellite technology. 

“This achievement also highlights the long-standing collaboration between Pakistan and China in the peaceful exploration of space and its application for socioeconomic progress,” it said. 

The new satellite joins Pakistan’s growing remote-sensing fleet, which includes PRSS-1 launched in 2018 and two Earth-observation satellites— EO-1 and KS-1— placed in orbit earlier this year.