Implications of Sino-Pak handshake in Space

The growing bitterness in the relationship between the US and Pakistan on the question of tackling terrorism, seems to be slowly pushing the “failed state” of Pakistan into a deeper embrace with Communist China. China, which in the eyes of Pakistan has emerged as an “all weather friend”, especially in the wake of the elimination of the terror kingpin Osama Bin laden in the garrison town of Abbotabad by the US Naval Seals in May this year, has reciprocated the Pakistani gesture. Indeed, the growing military, economic and technical ties between China and Pakistan received a boost with the successful launch of Pakistan’s advanced communications satellite Paksat-1R by a Chinese space vehicle in August this year. While for Pakistan, this satellite built with the technical and financial assistance from China will support the expansion of its space programme, for China it is yet another step towards showcasing the commercial potentials of its space enterprise. In fact, China has been using its prowess in space technology to spread its “soft power” in the third world countries. For developing countries keen on owning satellite systems to boost their national development, China provides competitive prices and soft loans with a deal focusing on training the local scientists along with technology transfer. Not surprisingly then, a few days before the launch Paksat-1R, China clinched a deal with Bolivia to build and launch a satellite for this Latin American country.

Strategic analysts have also pointed out to the military dimension of this Sino Pakistan space cooperation. On the face of it, Paksat-R1, the second Pakistani satellite to be launched from the Chinese soil, is meant to boost broadband communication, digital television broadcasting and rural telephony in Pakistan. But then this satellite can also be used effectively to link up Pakistani defence forces and boost their combat capabilities. Further, Pakistan can also exploit the potentials of this satellite for cross border propaganda. China-Pakistan cooperation in space exploration has a history of more than two decades. In 1990, Pakistan launched its first home grown satellite Badr-1 from China. A year later, both the countries formally signed an agreement to enhance cooperation in the peaceful application of space technology and various other agreements in the similar “spirit” have ensued. The agreement to develop Paksat-1R was finalised between the two countries in October 2008 .Under this deal, Beijing agreed to provide a  loan of US $34.7-million in addition to expertise for building the satellite.

Perhaps the biggest advantage that accrued to Pakistan from this project was the hands-on experience its young scientists gained while working along-side their Chinese counterparts in building this satellite. Pakistan still has to go a long way before it acquires expertise for building state of the art operational satellites for communications, weather watch, earth observation and other applications. Moreover, Pakistan despite its tall claims of having built a range of strategic missiles, is yet build a space vehicle of its own to launch satellites. The fact that Pakistan has not been able to build a space vehicle provides a pointer to the ground reality that all of its missiles were based on the technology and hardware provided by China and North Korea. For launch vehicles and missiles share many common technological elements.

Nonetheless, Pakistan is keen on expanding the frontiers of its space cooperation with China to encompass climate research, clean energy technology, clean water technology, cyber security and other research areas across the board. On its part, Karachi headquartered space and upper atmospheric research commission (SUPACO) of Pakistan has hinted at the launch of an optical satellite by the end of this year and a high resolution earth observation spacecraft by 2012. Pakistan has also expressed the desire to send a Pakistani astronaut on-board a Chinese spaceship sometime in the future. Right now, China is preparing the ground for realizing its own orbital complex before the end of this decade. The launch of Tiangong-1 space module by China in September signalled the Communist giant’s intention of putting in orbit an outpost in space.

In the immediate future, Pakistan will be in a position to use Paksat-1R for monitoring and mapping the devastating floods which have been battering its Sind province year after year. Here, Pakistan is keen to take a leaf out of the Indian space programme whose successful societal applications have won international kudos. But then there is palpable concern in Pakistan over the possibility of the Indian defence establishment exploiting advances in space technology to build sophisticated missile systems. In the aftermath of successful test flight of India’s first basic space launcher, SLV-3 in July 1980, Pakistan had expressed its fears that India would ultimately give a military dimension to “its civilian space programme”.

China, which happens to be Pakistan’s largest defence partner, has not only provided Pakistan with weapons grade fissile material but also agreed to provide 50 new JF-17 Thunder multi role fighter jets. In 1990s USA had imposed sanctions on Pakistan for its clandestine nuclear and missile development programme. SUPARCO (Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission) was one of the organisations covered under US sanction. For obvious reasons, the recent Sino-Pakistan space cooperation could increase concern in USA and India.

Radhakrishna Rao is a freelancer specializing in defence and aerospace issues

Views expressed are personal