Pakistan will launch it’s own indigenous communications and surveillance satellite reports TheNews. This comes after Badr-1 Amateur Radio Satellite launched in 1990 which crashed and burned after 146 days, and Badr-2 launched in 2001 (2-3 year lifespan) for data imaging, charged battery experiment, data storage and forwarding, and radiation disometer (for measuring radiation). Like it’s predecessors, the new satellite will be manufactured indigenously. Pakistan Science and Engineering Foundation (Paksef) has an overview of the first two satellites. AARL has a fascinating history of the satellites. In 2002, Pakistan acquired Hughes Global Systems Satellite (HGS3) from the US for a 5 year lease at US$4.5m and dubbed it Paksat-1, Pakistan’s first commercial satellite. Paksat-1 was launched on Dec 29, to meet the Apr 2003 launch window opportunity. It had 30 C-band and 10 Ku band transponders resulting in more bandwidth (tv channels and faster/cheaper internet). Paksat-1 passed through the recommendation of President Pervez Musharraf as did the newly proposed indigenous satellite estimated to complete by 2008. The website for Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission in Pakistan (SUPARCO) is lacking on any information. Details on the telecommunications and surveillance capabilities of the new satellite would be welcome.