Badr-B
Encyclopedia
Badr-BBadr-B (baːdɔːr; Urdu:2-بدر; also known as Badr-II, is the second spacecraft
and the first earth observation satellite
launched into Earth orbit on December 10, 2001 at 0915hrs
by Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission
— Pakistan's supreme space authority. Badr-B is a microsatellite
, with a weight of ~70kg
, and contained the supercomputerized system to conduct the studies on the gravity gradient
. Badr-B is a research satellite to explore the upper atmosphere and the near space, and carried a large array of instruments for geophysical
research.
The Badr-B payload was equipped with several CCD cameras
, compact dosimeter, a telemetry system, charge detector and a temperature control unit. The Badr-B is intended to complete and update the Islamabad Mission Control Center
(IMCC), and to test the remote sensing CCD instruments.
and the construction of the program was completed in Instrumentation Laboratories in Karachi. The United Kingdom
's Space Innovation Limited
, plc (SIL) also joined this program in 1993 as it had constructed the instrumentation of this satellite. The Badr-B was slightly bigger than the Badr-I as compare to weight and mass. Most of the equipments were developed at the DESTO and the spacecraft designing took place in Instrumentation Laboratories in Karachi. The Space Innovation Limited
took the contribution in providing the technical assistance required for assembling the Badr-B. A Mission control center
was established at the Islamabad where several supercomputer
s and its systems
were installed by Space Innovation Limited. In 1995, a computer system and the system software was designed and installed by Pakistan Software Export Systems (PSES)
while COMSATS
helped installing the large computer screen at the Islamabad mission control center. Overall, the work on Badr-B was completed in 1996 by Suparco and it was originally planned to launch from Tilla Launch Complex
but it was objected as the country had no launch facility at that time. The CCD cameras were developed by the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
(RAL) who took the interest in the development of the Badr-B in 1995.
Badr-B was developed in 1996 but the delay of Russian space-rocket put the satellite on hold for more than 4 years. Founding difficulty to launch the satellite, dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan
unsuccessfully attempted to launch the satellite from he Sonmiani Launch Complex which was denied by the government at that time. In 2001, the Air Force Strategic Command
flew the Badr-B to Kazakhstan
where it was finally launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome
, Baikonur
, Kazakhstan
on December 10, 2001 abroad a Ukrainian
Zenit-2
rocket
.
of 1050 km with an earth orbital period of 106 minutes. Badr-B is a cube with side dimesions of 510mm x 510mm x 465mm and a gravity gradient vector system to stabilize the satellite to its mission control center. A typical orbital and terminal pass over to country's space orbit entry would last between 10 to 15 minute.
Badr-B internal structure was made of space qualified aluminum T-6 alloy. The gallium arsenide (GaAs) solar arrays were used to provide and generate the electronic power
during the sunlit
periods. The nickel cadmium (NiCd) batteries were also installed during the eclipse periods
. Earth pointing single axis stabilization was achieved by the use of a 6m gravity gradient boom with a trip mass of 4 kg.
, the plan was put on hold. Since Suparco has no launch complex, it began to hold talks with China
and Russia
at the lowest rate. In 1998, following the restrictions applied on Pakistan after it had conduct atomic tests (See Chagai-I
and Chagai-II), Suparco was unable to launch the satellite, therefore putting the satellite in the storage.
Delaying of the satellite's launch program further frustrated the scientific community
, therefore, Government of Pakistan launched the work on Shaheen-III
and Ghauri-III
expendable rockets in 1998. In 2001, senior scientist dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan
approached to the Pakistan Government to received the permission to launch the satellite from either Tilla Launch Complex
or Sonmiani Launch Complex. However, then-CMLA
General Pervez Musharraf
denied the request of Khan.
In 2001, the Pakistan Academy of Sciences
held the physics and mathematics conference on astrophysics in Pakistan where scientists from all over the country were invited to come to Nathiagali. In an media interview given at Nathiagali, dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan maintained that, "Pakistan has very robust nuclear I.R.B.M.
system which can launch geostationary orbiting
satellites. All Pakistan has to do is to erase Delhi
or Calcutta from the target and point it towards the sky. Instead of Hydrogen bombs and Atomic bombs, the missiles can easily carry a payload of a 80kg satellite into the sky...". Astrophysicist
dr. Shahid Kureshi
also argued that [IRBM] missiles have very robust and effective electronics and computer system, the [SLV]s
used the similar technology. Taking part in this discussion, Nuclear physicist
dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy
believed that "If we [Pakistan] can launch a missile up to a range of 1,500 km, why not build an [SLV] that can launch low-atmosphere satellites?".
Dr. Abdul Majid
, an astrophysicist, countered the pressure in a media interview in 1999 given to Dawn Newspapers
, and in his own words, dr. Majid summed up that, "with Meteor-3M (a Soviet satellite), other four satellites one each from [Pakistan], Malaysia, Morocco and the United States are to be mounted on the bigger Russian rocket. It was only the Pakistan's Badr-B satellite which had met the deadline set by the Russians. The deadline was in April. All the other satellites failed to meet the deadline".
on a possible low rates. The PAF
's Air Force Strategic Command
flew the satellite via C-130 Hercules
to Kazakhstan
. The Badr-B was taken to Baikonur Cosmodrome
along with Russian satellites which were also stored for the final assembly. The Badr-B, along with Soviet built
Meteor-3M, was installed at the Zenit-2
expandable rocket. A high level delegation of Suparco headed by Major-General Raza Hussain arrived at the Baikonour Cosmodrome to witness the launch. At 17:18UTC, the Badr-B was launched along with Meteor-3M with an ascending node time of about 9:15AM.
's ionizing radiation
and, also used to study the electromagnetic field
of Earth. The Badr-B also conduct studies on charge battery when it is exposed to Solar flare
and forwarded Solar winds
. Expected results were send to its mission control center in Islamabad.
satellites, and to built the infrastructure for larger satellites. The Badr-B also gave the scientists to understand the usage of technology for earth imaging by using the CCD sensors; it also gave provided the scientists to enchance their studies conducted on how the solar flare effected the environment of Earth. The Badr-B stimulated the research on astrophysics and astroparticle physics that encourage the scientific community to continue their research on peaceful uses of space.
However, its achievements and propaganda was undermined after Suparco had lost the orbital slot in four consecutives years The onward criticism also undermined Suparco's effort who built this satellite, and due to its long wait, the negative reception was perceived by scientific community. Careful analysis of launch facilities and capabilities doubted if the space program is on right track. With all criticism, in 2002, Suparco began to conduct further studies and launched the more ambitious and complex project which formed the basis derivatives of Press system
, later this program was integrated with Space programme 2040
. Under the Space programme 2040
, the Badr-B will be replaced with more complex and technologically advanced high-resolution satellite PRSS-O1
, which is expected to be launch in near 2011 or 2012.
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
and the first earth observation satellite
Earth observation satellite
Earth observation satellites are satellites specifically designed to observe Earth from orbit, similar to reconnaissance satellites but intended for non-military uses such as environmental monitoring, meteorology, map making etc....
launched into Earth orbit on December 10, 2001 at 0915hrs
Hour
The hour is a unit of measurement of time. In modern usage, an hour comprises 60 minutes, or 3,600 seconds...
by Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission
Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission
The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission , is an executive agency of the Government of Pakistan, responsible for nation's public and civil space program and aeronautics and aerospace research...
— Pakistan's supreme space authority. Badr-B is a microsatellite
Microsatellite
Microsatellites, also known as Simple Sequence Repeats or short tandem repeats , are repeating sequences of 2-6 base pairs of DNA....
, with a weight of ~70kg
Kilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
, and contained the supercomputerized system to conduct the studies on the gravity gradient
Gravity Gradiometry
Gravity gradiometry is the study and measurement of variations in theacceleration due to gravity. The gravity gradient is the spatial rate of change of gravitational acceleration....
. Badr-B is a research satellite to explore the upper atmosphere and the near space, and carried a large array of instruments for geophysical
Geophysics
Geophysics is the physics of the Earth and its environment in space; also the study of the Earth using quantitative physical methods. The term geophysics sometimes refers only to the geological applications: Earth's shape; its gravitational and magnetic fields; its internal structure and...
research.
The Badr-B payload was equipped with several CCD cameras
Charge-coupled device
A charge-coupled device is a device for the movement of electrical charge, usually from within the device to an area where the charge can be manipulated, for example conversion into a digital value. This is achieved by "shifting" the signals between stages within the device one at a time...
, compact dosimeter, a telemetry system, charge detector and a temperature control unit. The Badr-B is intended to complete and update the Islamabad Mission Control Center
SUPARCO Satellite Ground Station
The SUPARCO Satellite Ground Station is an earth observation and remote sensing satellite control center. The SUPARCO's SGS center is a major space research centre of the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission , focusing on the earth observational and remote sensing technology.The space...
(IMCC), and to test the remote sensing CCD instruments.
Launch history
The Badr-B project was launched by Suparco in 1992, following the success of the Badr-I in 1990. The program was funded by Science MinistryMinistry of Science and Technology (Pakistan)
The Ministry of Science and Technology , is a Cabinet-level ministry of government of Pakistan concerned with science and technology in Pakistan and in general, Pakistan's science policies, planning, coordination and directing of efforts to initiate and launch scientific and technological programs...
and the construction of the program was completed in Instrumentation Laboratories in Karachi. The United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's Space Innovation Limited
Space Innovation and Growth Team
The Space Innovation and Growth Team is a is a joint UK government and industry initiative which has defined a 20-year vision and strategy for the future growth of the UK space industry - launched on 10 February 2010 as the Space Innovation and Growth Strategy .-Purpose:Its purpose was to "attempt...
, plc (SIL) also joined this program in 1993 as it had constructed the instrumentation of this satellite. The Badr-B was slightly bigger than the Badr-I as compare to weight and mass. Most of the equipments were developed at the DESTO and the spacecraft designing took place in Instrumentation Laboratories in Karachi. The Space Innovation Limited
Space Innovation and Growth Team
The Space Innovation and Growth Team is a is a joint UK government and industry initiative which has defined a 20-year vision and strategy for the future growth of the UK space industry - launched on 10 February 2010 as the Space Innovation and Growth Strategy .-Purpose:Its purpose was to "attempt...
took the contribution in providing the technical assistance required for assembling the Badr-B. A Mission control center
Mission Control Center
A mission control center is an entity that manages aerospace vehicle flights, usually from the point of lift-off until the landing or the end of the mission. A staff of flight controllers and other support personnel monitor all aspects of the mission using telemetry, and send commands to the...
was established at the Islamabad where several supercomputer
Supercomputer
A supercomputer is a computer at the frontline of current processing capacity, particularly speed of calculation.Supercomputers are used for highly calculation-intensive tasks such as problems including quantum physics, weather forecasting, climate research, molecular modeling A supercomputer is a...
s and its systems
Supercomputer Systems
Three firms have held, simultaneously, the name Supercomputer Systems or Supercomputing Systems.The first was founded by Steve Chen, architect of the Cray X-MP and Cray Y-MP. The second was based in San Diego, California, USA. The third still exists in Zurich, Switzerland.*SSI: Supercomputer...
were installed by Space Innovation Limited. In 1995, a computer system and the system software was designed and installed by Pakistan Software Export Systems (PSES)
Pakistan Software Export Board
Pakistan Software Export Board a government-owned, guarantee limited company, was founded in the year 1995, primarily to promote the information technology industry of Pakistan.- Major Functions :Primary functions of PSEB are to...
while COMSATS
Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South
The Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South is an intergovernmental organization based in Islamabad, Pakistan. The commission, founded in 1994, hopes to achieve sustainable development in developing countries through the use of science and technology...
helped installing the large computer screen at the Islamabad mission control center. Overall, the work on Badr-B was completed in 1996 by Suparco and it was originally planned to launch from Tilla Launch Complex
Tilla
Tilla Satellite Launch Center, primary known as Tilla Range, is a 25 km west of Jhelum city in Punjab. The facility is also known as Mashhood Test Firing Range...
but it was objected as the country had no launch facility at that time. The CCD cameras were developed by the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory is one of the national scientific research laboratories in the UK operated by the Science and Technology Facilities Council . It is located on the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus at Chilton near Didcot in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom...
(RAL) who took the interest in the development of the Badr-B in 1995.
Badr-B was developed in 1996 but the delay of Russian space-rocket put the satellite on hold for more than 4 years. Founding difficulty to launch the satellite, dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan
Abdul Qadeer Khan
Abdul Qadeer Khan , also known in Pakistan as Mohsin-e-Pakistan , D.Eng, Sc.D, HI, NI , FPAS; more widely known as Dr. A. Q...
unsuccessfully attempted to launch the satellite from he Sonmiani Launch Complex which was denied by the government at that time. In 2001, the Air Force Strategic Command
Air Force Strategic Command (Pakistan)
The Pakistan Air Force Strategic Forces Command, known as AF Strategic Command, is one of the three unified command of the Pakistan Strategic Forces Command...
flew the Badr-B to Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
where it was finally launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome
Baikonur Cosmodrome
The Baikonur Cosmodrome , also called Tyuratam, is the world's first and largest operational space launch facility. It is located in the desert steppe of Kazakhstan, about east of the Aral Sea, north of the Syr Darya river, near Tyuratam railway station, at 90 meters above sea level...
, Baikonur
Baikonur
Baikonur , formerly known as Leninsk, is a city in Kyzylorda Province of Kazakhstan, rented and administered by the Russian Federation. It was constructed to service the Baikonur Cosmodrome and was officially renamed Baikonur by Russian president Boris Yeltsin on December 20, 1995.The shape of the...
, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
on December 10, 2001 abroad a Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
Zenit-2
Zenit-2
The Zenit-2 is a Ukrainian, previously Soviet, expendable carrier rocket. First flown in 1985, it has been launched 37 times, with six failures. It is a member of the Zenit family of rockets, and was designed by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau. A modified version, the Zenit-2S, is used as the first two...
rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
.
Design
The economical cost of the Badr-B is not publicly known but it is estimated to be more costly than the first satellite, Badr-I. For its design, the Badar-B is far more complex and sophisticated than the first satellite. The external body of the Badr-B is made of Al-13 with a total mass of 70kg. Badr-B was launched in a sun-synchronous orbitSun-synchronous orbit
A Sun-synchronous orbit is a geocentric orbit which combines altitude and inclination in such a way that an object on that orbit ascends or descends over any given point of the Earth's surface at the same local mean solar time. The surface illumination angle will be nearly the same every time...
of 1050 km with an earth orbital period of 106 minutes. Badr-B is a cube with side dimesions of 510mm x 510mm x 465mm and a gravity gradient vector system to stabilize the satellite to its mission control center. A typical orbital and terminal pass over to country's space orbit entry would last between 10 to 15 minute.
Badr-B internal structure was made of space qualified aluminum T-6 alloy. The gallium arsenide (GaAs) solar arrays were used to provide and generate the electronic power
Power (physics)
In physics, power is the rate at which energy is transferred, used, or transformed. For example, the rate at which a light bulb transforms electrical energy into heat and light is measured in watts—the more wattage, the more power, or equivalently the more electrical energy is used per unit...
during the sunlit
Sunlight
Sunlight, in the broad sense, is the total frequency spectrum of electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun. On Earth, sunlight is filtered through the Earth's atmosphere, and solar radiation is obvious as daylight when the Sun is above the horizon.When the direct solar radiation is not blocked...
periods. The nickel cadmium (NiCd) batteries were also installed during the eclipse periods
Eclipse cycle
Eclipses may occur repeatedly, separated by certain intervals of time: these intervals are called eclipse cycles. The series of eclipses separated by a repeat of one of these intervals is called an eclipse series.- Eclipse conditions :...
. Earth pointing single axis stabilization was achieved by the use of a 6m gravity gradient boom with a trip mass of 4 kg.
Launch Plans and Site selections
The Suparco sat its deadline to launch the satellite in 1994 but, due to satellite was being upgrade it as time passes, Suparco lost the space orbital entry slot. Suparco then planned to Badr-B in 1995 or as early of 1996 but did not materialize the plan.. By the 1996, Badr-B was completed and was ready to launch but due to upcoming elections in 1997Pakistani general election, 1997
A general election was held in Pakistan on 3 February 1997 to elect the National Assembly of Pakistan and the four provincial assemblies. The election took place after the previous Pakistan Peoples Party government of Benazir Bhutto was dismissed by President Farooq Leghari for alleged corruption...
, the plan was put on hold. Since Suparco has no launch complex, it began to hold talks with China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
at the lowest rate. In 1998, following the restrictions applied on Pakistan after it had conduct atomic tests (See Chagai-I
Chagai-I
The Chagai-I was a codename referring to the five underground nuclear tests conducted by Pakistan at 15:15hrs in 28th May of 1998. It was named Chagai-I, as the tests were conducted in the Chagai District...
and Chagai-II), Suparco was unable to launch the satellite, therefore putting the satellite in the storage.
Delaying of the satellite's launch program further frustrated the scientific community
Pakistan Academy of Sciences
The Pakistan Academy of Sciences The Pakistan Academy of Sciences The Pakistan Academy of Sciences (Urdu: پاکستان اكيڈ مى ﺁف سائس; shortened to PAS, is a learned society for science and technology based in Pakistan. The academy consisted and served as the network of science across the Pakistan as...
, therefore, Government of Pakistan launched the work on Shaheen-III
Shaheen-III
The Shaheen III is a Pakistani intermediate-range ballistic missile speculated to be in development with a range of 4000-4500 km. It is a member of the solid-fueled Shaheen series missile family and is envisioned to replace the less advanced liquid-fueled Ghauri-III system whose development was...
and Ghauri-III
Ghauri-III
The Ghauri-III is an intermediate-range ballistic missile being developed by Pakistan. Based on the previous Ghauri I and II missiles, it has three liquid fuel rocket stages. Currently its range is longer than any other ballistic missile in Pakistan's arsenal. The Ghauri-III reportedly started...
expendable rockets in 1998. In 2001, senior scientist dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan
Abdul Qadeer Khan
Abdul Qadeer Khan , also known in Pakistan as Mohsin-e-Pakistan , D.Eng, Sc.D, HI, NI , FPAS; more widely known as Dr. A. Q...
approached to the Pakistan Government to received the permission to launch the satellite from either Tilla Launch Complex
Tilla
Tilla Satellite Launch Center, primary known as Tilla Range, is a 25 km west of Jhelum city in Punjab. The facility is also known as Mashhood Test Firing Range...
or Sonmiani Launch Complex. However, then-CMLA
Chief Martial Law Administrator
The office of the Chief Martial Law Administrator was a senior government post created in countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia that gave considerable executive authority and powers to the holder of the post to enforce martial law in the country. This office has been used mostly by...
General Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...
denied the request of Khan.
In 2001, the Pakistan Academy of Sciences
Pakistan Academy of Sciences
The Pakistan Academy of Sciences The Pakistan Academy of Sciences The Pakistan Academy of Sciences (Urdu: پاکستان اكيڈ مى ﺁف سائس; shortened to PAS, is a learned society for science and technology based in Pakistan. The academy consisted and served as the network of science across the Pakistan as...
held the physics and mathematics conference on astrophysics in Pakistan where scientists from all over the country were invited to come to Nathiagali. In an media interview given at Nathiagali, dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan maintained that, "Pakistan has very robust nuclear I.R.B.M.
Intermediate-range ballistic missile
An intermediate-range ballistic missile is a ballistic missile with a range of 3,000–5,500 km , between a medium-range ballistic missile and an intercontinental ballistic missile...
system which can launch geostationary orbiting
Geostationary orbit
A geostationary orbit is a geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earth's equator , with a period equal to the Earth's rotational period and an orbital eccentricity of approximately zero. An object in a geostationary orbit appears motionless, at a fixed position in the sky, to ground observers...
satellites. All Pakistan has to do is to erase Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
or Calcutta from the target and point it towards the sky. Instead of Hydrogen bombs and Atomic bombs, the missiles can easily carry a payload of a 80kg satellite into the sky...". Astrophysicist
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
dr. Shahid Kureshi
M. Shahid Qureshi
Dr. Prof. Muhammad Shahid Qureshi or Shahid Qureshi, he is best known as Dr. M. Shahid Qureshi, is a Pakistani astrophysicist and a renowned astronomer. He is an academic and an eminent educationist from Pakistan who has published articles in the fields of astrophysics and astronomy...
also argued that [IRBM] missiles have very robust and effective electronics and computer system, the [SLV]s
Satellite Launch Vehicle
The Indian Satellite Launch Vehicle or SLV was a project started in the early 1970s by Indian Space Research Organisation to develop the technology needed to launch satellites. The project was headed by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. SLV was intended to reach a height of 400 km and carry a payload of...
used the similar technology. Taking part in this discussion, Nuclear physicist
Nuclear physics
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei. The most commonly known applications of nuclear physics are nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons technology, but the research has provided application in many fields, including those...
dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy
Pervez Hoodbhoy
Dr. Prof. Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy , is a Pakistani nuclear physicist, essayist and political-defence analyst. He is the professor of nuclear and high-energy physics, and the head of the Physics Department at the Quaid-e-Azam University . He graduated and also received PhD from MIT and continues to...
believed that "If we [Pakistan] can launch a missile up to a range of 1,500 km, why not build an [SLV] that can launch low-atmosphere satellites?".
Dr. Abdul Majid
Abdul Majid (physicist)
For other people with the same or similar name, see Abdul Majid Dr. Abdul Majid : is a Pakistani astrophysicist and scientist in the field of space technology. He is a former chairman of Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission from 1997 to 1999. He had made significant contributions to...
, an astrophysicist, countered the pressure in a media interview in 1999 given to Dawn Newspapers
Dawn (newspaper)
Dawn is Pakistan's oldest and most widely read English-language newspaper. One of the country's two largest English-language dailies, it is the flagship of the Dawn Group of Newspapers, published by Pakistan Herald Publications, which also owns the Herald, a magazine, the evening paper The Star and...
, and in his own words, dr. Majid summed up that, "with Meteor-3M (a Soviet satellite), other four satellites one each from [Pakistan], Malaysia, Morocco and the United States are to be mounted on the bigger Russian rocket. It was only the Pakistan's Badr-B satellite which had met the deadline set by the Russians. The deadline was in April. All the other satellites failed to meet the deadline".
Launch and Mission
After receiving criticism from the scientific society, the Suparco succeeded in a talks held with Russian Federal Space AgencyRussian Federal Space Agency
The Russian Federal Space Agency , commonly called Roscosmos and abbreviated as FKA and RKA , is the government agency responsible for the Russian space science program and general aerospace research. It was previously the Russian Aviation and Space Agency .Headquarters of Roscosmos are located...
on a possible low rates. The PAF
Pakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
's Air Force Strategic Command
Air Force Strategic Command (Pakistan)
The Pakistan Air Force Strategic Forces Command, known as AF Strategic Command, is one of the three unified command of the Pakistan Strategic Forces Command...
flew the satellite via C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
to Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
. The Badr-B was taken to Baikonur Cosmodrome
Baikonur Cosmodrome
The Baikonur Cosmodrome , also called Tyuratam, is the world's first and largest operational space launch facility. It is located in the desert steppe of Kazakhstan, about east of the Aral Sea, north of the Syr Darya river, near Tyuratam railway station, at 90 meters above sea level...
along with Russian satellites which were also stored for the final assembly. The Badr-B, along with Soviet built
Soviet space program
The Soviet space program is the rocketry and space exploration programs conducted by the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics from the 1930s until its dissolution in 1991...
Meteor-3M, was installed at the Zenit-2
Zenit-2
The Zenit-2 is a Ukrainian, previously Soviet, expendable carrier rocket. First flown in 1985, it has been launched 37 times, with six failures. It is a member of the Zenit family of rockets, and was designed by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau. A modified version, the Zenit-2S, is used as the first two...
expandable rocket. A high level delegation of Suparco headed by Major-General Raza Hussain arrived at the Baikonour Cosmodrome to witness the launch. At 17:18UTC, the Badr-B was launched along with Meteor-3M with an ascending node time of about 9:15AM.
Experiments
The Badr-B conduct four major ob-board experiments, including taking the snap shots of Earth images, and data storage and forwarding to its mission control center. The Badr-B also used the radiation dosimeter to measure the exposure of SunSun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
's ionizing radiation
Ionizing radiation
Ionizing radiation is radiation composed of particles that individually have sufficient energy to remove an electron from an atom or molecule. This ionization produces free radicals, which are atoms or molecules containing unpaired electrons...
and, also used to study the electromagnetic field
Electromagnetic field
An electromagnetic field is a physical field produced by moving electrically charged objects. It affects the behavior of charged objects in the vicinity of the field. The electromagnetic field extends indefinitely throughout space and describes the electromagnetic interaction...
of Earth. The Badr-B also conduct studies on charge battery when it is exposed to Solar flare
Solar flare
A solar flare is a sudden brightening observed over the Sun surface or the solar limb, which is interpreted as a large energy release of up to 6 × 1025 joules of energy . The flare ejects clouds of electrons, ions, and atoms through the corona into space. These clouds typically reach Earth a day...
and forwarded Solar winds
Solar Winds
Solar Winds I & II were top down, space-based action games released in the early-1990s.In Solar Winds, you are Jake Stone, a bounty hunter who, through several missions, uncovers a secret coalition between the government of your home solar system and a race of unidentified aliens...
. Expected results were send to its mission control center in Islamabad.
Achievements
Overall, the Badr-B was an ambitious project that was intended to learn and developed the low-cost EOSEarth observation satellite
Earth observation satellites are satellites specifically designed to observe Earth from orbit, similar to reconnaissance satellites but intended for non-military uses such as environmental monitoring, meteorology, map making etc....
satellites, and to built the infrastructure for larger satellites. The Badr-B also gave the scientists to understand the usage of technology for earth imaging by using the CCD sensors; it also gave provided the scientists to enchance their studies conducted on how the solar flare effected the environment of Earth. The Badr-B stimulated the research on astrophysics and astroparticle physics that encourage the scientific community to continue their research on peaceful uses of space.
However, its achievements and propaganda was undermined after Suparco had lost the orbital slot in four consecutives years The onward criticism also undermined Suparco's effort who built this satellite, and due to its long wait, the negative reception was perceived by scientific community. Careful analysis of launch facilities and capabilities doubted if the space program is on right track. With all criticism, in 2002, Suparco began to conduct further studies and launched the more ambitious and complex project which formed the basis derivatives of Press system
Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite
The Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite , commercially known as Remote Sensing Satellite System is an dual purpose Earth observational and optical satellite which is schedule to launch by the end year of 2011 for the replacement of Badr-II satellite. The satellite is being manufacture indigenously...
, later this program was integrated with Space programme 2040
Space programme 2040
The Space Programme 2040 is a satellite development and launch programme of the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission — Pakistan's supreme space research authority. The Space Programme 2040 intends to replace the Badr satellite programme and geo-stationary communication satellite...
. Under the Space programme 2040
Space programme 2040
The Space Programme 2040 is a satellite development and launch programme of the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission — Pakistan's supreme space research authority. The Space Programme 2040 intends to replace the Badr satellite programme and geo-stationary communication satellite...
, the Badr-B will be replaced with more complex and technologically advanced high-resolution satellite PRSS-O1
Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite
The Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite , commercially known as Remote Sensing Satellite System is an dual purpose Earth observational and optical satellite which is schedule to launch by the end year of 2011 for the replacement of Badr-II satellite. The satellite is being manufacture indigenously...
, which is expected to be launch in near 2011 or 2012.