Author: PTI
Publication: The Hindustan Times
Date: September 5, 2001
Pakistan has offered $ 130 million
to Russia for developing and launching a spy satellite capable of 'keeping
an eye on India and other neighbouring countries', a Russian daily reported.
The preparations are nearing completion for the launch of Pakistan's first
satellite 'Badr-B' aboard Russian 'Zenit' booster and Pakistani space agency
'Suparco' is exploring the possibility of placing orders with the Russian
space industsry for developing and launching a remote sensing satellite
with high resolution cameras - in other words, a spy satellite, the daily
Vremya Novostyei said.
Russia has so far abstained from
signing a contract saying "our old time ally India would be the main object
of Pakistan spy satellite," the daily wrote.
Meanwhile, Russian Prime Minister
Mikhail Kasyanov has cleared launching of Pakistan's mini-satellite 'Badr-B'
in package with two Russian and a joint German-Moroccan satellites.
Former Pakistan premier Nawaz Sharif
had signed a deal to launch a mini-satellite with Russia in 1990's but
due to technical hitches Islamabad's entry into the space club has been
delayed by about two years.
In the contract signed with Russia,
Islamabad has described the functions of its satellite in very obscure
terms like 'meteorological and photo survey', 'testing of the integrity
of communication services', the daily said.
"It seems that by launching Badr-B
Pakistan simply wants to verify whether its telecom facilities are capable
of sustaining a reliable contact with the orbiting satellite.
Only later it would launch something
more serious than Badr-B," Vremya Novostyei said.
