The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) officially retired its communication satellite, PakSat-1R. Following a successful 15-year operational mission in geostationary orbit, the agency safely deorbited the spacecraft. SUPARCO precisely maneuvered the DFH-4 platform satellite into a designated disposal orbit. Consequently, this move fully satisfies international space safety standards and orbital debris mitigation guidelines.
During its fifteen-year lifecycle, PakSat-1R achieved all primary mission objectives. It provided critical telecommunications, television broadcasting, and broadband infrastructure across Pakistan and the surrounding region. Furthermore, this controlled decommissioning highlights SUPARCO’s strong commitment to sustainable satellite fleet management. To ensure uninterrupted service, SUPARCO launched the PakSat MM-1 satellite, which has remained in active service since May 2024.
Public catalog records show that SUPA (Pakistan) operated the communications payload. Initially, a Chang Zheng 3B rocket launched the satellite on August 11, 2011. Recently, a notice from the KeepTrack Operations Center (KTOC) flagged the potential departure of SUPARCO PAKSAT-1R satellite. The report was issued on August 22, 2026, following a detection on August 20 at 16:53Z / 9:53 PM PKT. The automated system classified the event as a Tier 1 priority departure with a rank score of 53.9. Currently, observational data indicate that PAKSAT-1R has departed its 38.0°E slot. It is drifting west at 2.09 degrees per day, aiming for a net drift of 10.8 degrees by the end of the leg.
