On October 15, 2008, China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) and the Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) signed a Contract in Beijing for the purchase of the PakSat-1R Satellite System, witnessed by PRC President Hu Jintao and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari. Pakistani Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi and President of CGWIC Mr. Wang Haibo, representing each party, signed the contract.
As the prime contractor, CGWIC will be responsible for the design, manufacture, assembly, testing and launch of the PakSat-1R satellite, with subcontractors providing satellite, launch vehicle, and launch operations support. The contract requires CGWIC to deliver a complete in-orbit operating satellite and the associated ground control facilities.
The PakSat-1R satellite will be positioned at a longitude of 38°E, and will provide telecommunications and broadcasting services to Pakistan. The satellite is based on the three-axis-stabilised DFH-4 satellite platform developed by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), and is fitted with 12 active C-band and 18 active Ku-band transponders. The service life span of the PakSat-1R satellite is expected to be 15 years. The satellite will be launched on a Long March-3B launch vehicle developed by another CASC subsidiary, the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in mid 2011and delivered to SUPARCO afterwards.
The Paksat-1R contract is the third communications satellite contract signed by an international customer with China’s aerospace industry. It also marks the first satellite in-orbit delivery contract signed between China and an Asian customer. As the international cooperation platform for China’s aerospace industry, CGWIC is dedicated to improving living standards worldwide and contributing to economic prosperity.