News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s space agency on Wednesday announced the upcoming launch of the country’s first hyperspectral satellite (HS-1) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in China, scheduled for October 19.

Hyperspectral imaging is a type of advanced camera technology used in satellites to study the Earth and space, according to a study published in the Journal of Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience. Unlike regular satellite cameras that capture only a few colours (like red, green, and blue), hyperspectral cameras capture hundreds of very narrow colour bands. This means they can detect tiny differences in light that the human eye, or even normal satellites, can’t see.

Because of this, scientists can use hyperspectral images to identify materials, detect changes in vegetation, find minerals, monitor pollution, or even study the atmosphere in much greater detail than before.

According to a statement from the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco), the launch is a “landmark mission [which] represents a transformative milestone in Pakistan’s national space programme, propelling the country into a new era of advanced space-based applications in agriculture, disaster management, urban development, and environmental monitoring.”