[Pakistan] Paksat-1 reaches orbital position

["Irfan Khan" <khania2@super.net.pk>]

From: "SDNP Info" <info@isb.sdnpk.org>
To: "Comp-list" <comp-list@isb.sdnpk.org>
Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2002 16:54:10 +0500


Paksat-1 reaches orbital position 
The Dawn,  12/30/2002 

http://www.dawn.com/2002/12/30/top10.htm 


ISLAMABAD, Dec 29: The country's first commercial satellite, Paksat-
1, has reached its orbital position at 38 degrees east and has 
completed its initial manoeuvres to lock itself in a geosynchronous 
orbit, 36,000km above the earth.  

National Telecommunication Corporation Chairman Air Vice-Marshal 
Azhar Maud said at a presentation to newspersons on Sunday that the 
satellite would start functioning from Feb 1, 2003.  

He said a limited use of the satellite would help earn revenue and it 
could be used for educational, Internet and data networking at low 
costs. He said the orbital slot was due to expire on April 19, 2003.  


According to reports received from Frequency Allocation Board here 
and Suparco in Lahore, the satellite had stabilized at its location 
and its beacons were successfully received at the monitoring centres, 
he said.  

The chairman said the satellite would be ready for commercial 
operations after comprehensive in-orbit testing and ground coverage 
survey, expected to take place till the end of January.  

Its beacon frequencies were being received at the telemetry, tracking 
and control stations in Perth, Australia, after being relayed from 
Rugby in England.  

The frequencies are also being monitored at Suparco and the Frequency 
Allocation Board facilities.  

The transponder testing would begin in early January, he said.  

In the past, five slots were allocated to the country in the orbit, 
which could not be exploited.  

"If this slot was not protected by the government by bringing in a 
satellite and placing it there, this strategic asset and any future 
opportunity to enter the space would have been lost forever," the NTC 
chairman said.  

He said the government had acquired the use of the in-orbit satellite 
in July from the Hughes Global System (HGS) of the United States, for 
a low cost and planning was underway for a follow-on satellite to 
fully exploit the slot.  

The HGS is assisting the government in frequency coordination and 
training of manpower.  

Replying to a question, he said the country would be able to build 
its indigenous commercial satellite by 2008.  

Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation Chairman Akhtar Ahmed Bajwa 
and advisor to the information technology and telecommunication 
minister, Salman Azhar Ansari, were also present.-APP   



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