The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission announced that Pakistan will send its first Hyperspectral Satellite, HS-1, into orbit on October 19, 2025 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China. The mission marks a new phase for national remote sensing capabilities and aims to deliver more detailed spectral data than conventional imaging systems.
In agriculture, HS-1 will provide high-resolution hyperspectral data to support precision farming and crop management. By enabling detailed analysis of crop health, soil moisture and irrigation efficiency, the satellite is expected to improve yield forecasts by 15–20 percent and contribute to stronger national food security planning.
For urban development, the satellite’s advanced sensors will allow planners and authorities to monitor environmental change, track infrastructure growth and map city expansion. Detecting spectral variations in built environments will help with sustainable city planning, land-use decisions and more efficient allocation of resources in growing urban areas across Pakistan.
HS-1 will also strengthen environmental monitoring and disaster response. Its imaging capabilities can assist in predicting floods, monitoring landslides and identifying geological risks in vulnerable corridors such as the Karakoram Highway and northern Pakistan. The data will support post-disaster assessment, transportation analysis and water resource modelling, and provide timely insights into deforestation, earthquakes and land degradation.
The new satellite will join Pakistan’s existing remote sensing network alongside PRSS-1, EO-1 and KS-1, enhancing SUPARCO’s space-based infrastructure. Together these platforms aim to deliver vital data for national development priorities and security, while expanding scientific and operational uses of hyperspectral observations.
SUPARCO officials say HS-1 will offer researchers, policymakers and emergency services improved spectral information to inform decisions across agriculture, urban planning and disaster management, with the October 19 launch beginning operational data delivery to domestic users.
