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{{Short description|Pakistani digital communication satellite}}
{{about|the Pakistani satellite| the Yemeni rocket|Badr-1 (rocket)}}

{{Use British English|date=September 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox spaceflight
| name               = Badr-1
| image              = Badr-1 satellite.jpg
| image_caption      = The display of ''Badr-1'', prior to its launch.
| mission_type       = [[Technology]]
| operator           = [[Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission|SUPARCO]]
| website            = {{url|suparco.gov.pk/pages/badr1.asp}}
| COSPAR_ID          = 1990-059A
| SATCAT             = 20685
| mission_duration   = 35 days (achieved)
| manufacturer       = [[Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission|SUPARCO]]
| launch_mass        = {{convert|52|kg}}
| dimensions         = 
| power              = 12.5 watts{{citation needed|date=February 2013}}
| launch_date        = 12 July 1990, 00:40:00 [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]]
| launch_rocket      = [[Long March 2E]]
| launch_site        = [[Xichang Satellite Launch Center|Xichang]], [[Xichang Satellite Launch Center|LA-2]]
| launch_contractor  = 
| last_contact       = 21 August 1990
| decay_date         = 9 December 1990
| orbit_reference    = [[Geocentric orbit]]
| orbit_regime       = [[Low Earth orbit]]
| orbit_periapsis    = {{convert|201.0|km}}
| orbit_apoapsis     = {{convert|984.0|km}}
| orbit_inclination  = 28.4°
| orbit_period       = 96.3 minutes
| apsis              = gee
}}

'''Badr-1''' ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|بدر-۱}}}}, meaning ''Full Moon-A'') was the first [[Satellite|artificial]] and the first digital [[communications satellite]] launched by Pakistan's national space authority — the [[Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission|SUPARCO]] — in 1990.<ref name="Aerospace Guide">{{Cite web|title=Pakistan Space Program|work=Aerospace Guide: Pakistan Space Programme |publisher=Aerospace Guide|date=10 July 2011|url=http://www.aerospaceguide.net/worldspace/pakistan.html|access-date=August 25, 2011|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150202005559/http://www.aerospaceguide.net/worldspace/pakistan.html|archive-date=2 February 2015}}</ref> The ''Badr-1'' was [[Pakistan]]'s first indigenously developed and manufactured [[digital communications]] and an experimental artificial satellite which was launched into [[low Earth orbit]] by Pakistan on 16 July 1990, through a Chinese [[Launch vehicle|carrier rocket]].<ref name="Online Induction ">{{cite web|url=http://induction8402.blogspot.com/2011/03/badr-1-pakistans-first-experimental.html|title=BADR-1 Pakistan's First Experimental Satellite|publisher=Online Induction|date=March 2011|access-date=August 25, 2011}}</ref> The launch ushered new military, technological, and scientific developments in Pakistan and also provided data on radio-signal distribution in the [[ionosphere]].<ref name="Online Induction"/> Originally planned to be launched from the United States in 1986, the [[Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|''Challenger disaster'']] further delayed the launch of the satellite which changed the plan. After the People's Republic of China offered Pakistan to use its facility, the ''Badr-1'' was finally launched from [[Xichang Satellite Launch Center]] in 1990 on [[Long March 2E]]. ''Badr-1'' travelled at {{convert|17500|mi/h}}, taking 96.3 minutes to complete an orbit, and emitted radio signals at the 145 to 435 [[Hertz|MHz]] bands which were operated by [[Pakistan Amateur Radio Society]] (PARS).<ref name="Aerospace Guide"/> The ''Badr-1'' successfully completed its designed life, and a new satellite was proposed to be developed.<ref name="Aerospace Guide"/>

== Before the launch ==
The history of the ''Badr-1'' project dated back to 1979, when [[Indian Space Research Organisation]] (ISRO) successfully launched their first satellite, [[Aryabhata (satellite)|Aryabhata]], in 1975.<ref name="Salim Mehmud, former technical director of the ''Hatf-I'' project.">{{cite journal|last=Mehmud, PhD|first=Salim|author-link=Salim Mehmud|author2=P. Proctor|title=Pakistan Space Programme|journal=Salim Mehmud, Former Technical Director of the Hatf-I Project|year=1989|volume=5|issue=3|page=217|doi=10.1016/0265-9646(89)90088-X|bibcode=1989SpPol...5..217M}}</ref> After four years, on 13 December 1979, [[Munir Ahmad Khan]] managed a cabinet-level meeting with [[Chief Martial Law Administrator]] General [[Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq]] and gained SUPARCO's status as an executive authority.{{Citation needed|date=August 2013}} In 1981, [[Salim Mehmud]] addressed Munir Ahmad Khan proposing the development of an Earth-orbiting artificial satellite, the task previously achieved by India.<ref name="Salim Mehmud, former technical director of the ''Hatf-I'' project."/> Munir Ahmad Khan took the matter to General Zia-ul-Haq who gave approval of this project.{{Citation needed|date=August 2013}} As part of the development of this project, SUPARCO sent a number of its engineers to [[University of Surrey]] to participate in the development of [[UO-11]] which was launched in 1984.<ref name="Federation of American Scientists (FAS) ">{{Cite web
  | last =Mehmud, PhD 
  | first =Salim 
  | author-link =Salim Mehmud 
  |author2=P. Proctor 
  | title =Pakistan and Satellite Communication Systems
  | work =Salim Mehmud, former Chairman of the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission and technical director of the Hatf-I project. 
  | publisher =Federation of American Scientists (FAS) 
  | date =20 March 2000<!-- 6:42:34&nbsp;am  -->
  | url =https://fas.org/spp/guide/pakistan/comm/index.html
  | accessdate =15 August 2011 }}</ref> After participating in various projects with University of Surrey, the team returned to Pakistan in 1986.<ref name="Federation of American Scientists (FAS) "/> Munir Ahmad Khan then returned to General Zia-ul-Haq and obtained his approval to begin practical work on Badr-1.<ref name="Salim Mehmud, former technical director of the ''Hatf-I'' project."/> The project was started by SUPARCO's Dr. Salim Mehmud as director of the project and was supported by the members of Pakistan Amateur Radio Society.<ref name="Federation of American Scientists (FAS) "/> The SUPARCO began building the satellite at the Instrumentation Laboratories (IL), with Dr. Muhammad Riaz Suddle serving as its project manager.<ref name="Federation of American Scientists (FAS) "/> This project was called "''Project Badr''" and was initially funded by the [[Ministry of Telecommunications]] and [[Ministry of Science and Technology (Pakistan)|Ministry of Science]].<ref name="Federation of American Scientists (FAS) "/> In short span of time first satellite of the project named ''Badr-1'' was developed.<ref name="Federation of American Scientists (FAS) "/>

==Design==
The technical director of ''Badr-1'' was Dr. [[Salim Mehmud]], Director of SUPARCO and the project was overseen by Dr. Muhammad Riaz Suddle, who served as its project manager. The satellite was slightly bigger than Soviet ''[[Sputnik 1]]'' satellite in size.<ref name="Online Induction "/> The ''Badr-1'' was an indigenously built and developed satellite of Pakistan.<ref name="Online Induction "/> The major contractor was Instrumentation Laboratories and the Pakistan Amateur Radio Society, supported by Ministry of Science and the Ministry of Telecommunications.<ref name="Online Induction "/> The satellite shaped as a [[polyhedron]] with 26 surfaces or [[facet]]s, was about 20&nbsp;inches in diameter.<ref name="Online Induction "/> The polyhedrons, covered with highly polished [[heat shield]], made of aluminium-[[magnesium]]-[[titanium]]. The satellite carried two antennas designed by Instrumentation Laboratories. The [[power supply]], with a mass of 52&nbsp;kg. The satellite was powered with solar power panels with a 12.5 [[Watt|W]] electricity. The satellite was designed in SUPARCO's Satellite Research and Development Center in [[Lahore]]. The satellite had one radio channel for digital [[store-and-forward]] communications.<ref name="Online Induction "/>

A transponder uplink was near 435 [[Megahertz|MHz]], and the downlink was near 145&nbsp;MHz. The telemetry beacon was near 145&nbsp;MHz. Data from 32 telemetry channels, including information from 9 temperature sensors, 16 current sensors, and 5 voltage sensors, was stored in an 8k memory bank and transmitted at 1200, 600, 300 and 150 [[baud]]. Originally designed for a circular orbit at 250–300 miles' altitude, Badr-1 actually was inserted by the Long March rocket into an elliptical orbit of 127–615 miles. The cost of development and preparation of satellite was no more than [[Pakistani rupee|Rs. 1.2&nbsp;million]].

==Launch vehicle preparation and launch site selection==
[[File:CZ-2E.svg|thumb|45px|right|''Badr-1'' was launched through Long March 2E.]]
The [[SUPARCO]] negotiated with the [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration]] (NASA) for the launch of the satellite and approval required from the [[United States Government]] for the launch of the ''Badr-1''. The [[Air Force Strategic Command (Pakistan)|Air Force Strategic Command]] decided to fly the satellite by using one of its [[C-130 Hercules|C-130]] aircraft in 1986 to Florida, United States. The ''[[Delta 3000]]'' was selected by NASA's administration as its launch vehicle. Preparation was made and its crew and satellite was stored at the aircraft, however, it was delayed for unknown reasons. The ''Badr-1'' was never shipped to United States and its launch was delayed for until next four years. As aftermath of the [[Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|Challenger disaster]] in 1986, the United States Government and NASA had halt all the flights of the rockets carrying spacecraft and satellite payloads until the investigations were thoroughly completed. The satellite was stored at the Instrumentation Laboratories (IL) and SUPARCO began to negotiate with other space powers. In 1990, representatives of [[Government of the People's Republic of China|Chinese government]] offered Government of Pakistan to launch the satellite on one of its [[Long March (rocket family)|Long March Rockets]] and its facility. SUPARCO did not want to wait any longer, therefore, the satellite was flown to People's Republic of China in sub-assembled form. SUPARCO official's re-assembled the satellite at the [[Xichang Satellite Launch Center]]. The satellite was loaded at the [[Xichang Satellite Launch Center|Launch Area 2]] and final preparations were made. The Chinese Government used [[Long March 2E]], a three-stage orbital carrier rocket designed to commercial communications satellites, to launch the ''Badr-1'' who also took its first maiden flight with the launch of ''Badr-1'' on 16 July 1990.

==Launch and mission==
On 16 July 1990, the ''Badr-1'' was launched as a secondary payload on a Long March 2E rocket from Area No. 2 at [[Xichang Satellite Launch Center|XSLC]]. ''Badr-1'', a low-Earth orbit satellite, circled the Earth's orbit every 96 minutes, passing over Pakistan for 15 minutes three to four times a day. Scientists, engineers, technicians, and designers who developed the satellite watched the launch from range. They waited about 93 minutes to ensure that the satellite had made one orbit and was transmitting, before dr. M. Shafi Ahmad called Prime minister [[Benazir Bhutto]]. The downlink telemetry included data on temperatures inside and on the surface of the sphere. The satellite itself, a small but highly polished polyhedron, was barely visible at sixth magnitude, and thus more difficult to follow optically. The satellite completed its designated life successfully.<ref name="Online Induction "/> On the first orbit, the SUPARCO globally announced the launch of the satellite, and the [[Ministry of Science and Technology (Pakistan)|Science ministry]] confirmed the launch of the satellite. As the satellite completed its life, a new project was launched, more ambitious, advanced, and difficult than ''Badr-1''. However, even after the [[Badr-B|''Badr-1'']] was completed, the satellite could not be able to launch until 2001.

==Achievement==
With the successful development and launch of the ''Badr-1'', [[Pakistan]] became the first [[Muslim country]], and second [[South Asia|South Asian country]] after India, to place a satellite in orbit.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=chtAqyOp9OEC&pg=PA46|title=Asian Space Race: Rhetoric or Reality?|last=Lele|first=Ajey|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|year=2012|isbn=978-81-322-0733-7|pages=46|quote=Headquartered in SUPARCO headquarters, Karachi, it has been responsible directly and indirectly for the fabrication, processing and launch of the Muslim Ummah's first experimental satellite, Badr-1. It was a historical event not only for the people of Pakistan but also for the entire Muslim Ummah as it was the first satellite built by any Islamic country based on indigenous resources and manpower}}</ref> The satellite gave Pakistani scientists an academic, scientific, and an amateur community experience in telemetry, tracking, control and data communications as the satellite successfully completed store and dump message tests for 5 weeks.<ref name="Online Induction "/>

Despite the international success gained, the Pakistan's accomplishments were kept quiet in the homeland to prevent any exploitation of their failures or loss of secrets, which undermined the propaganda opportunity. The [[Pakistan Television Corporation|Pakistan Television]], a [[State-controlled company|state-controlled]] media authority, announced the first launch in televisions never made a headline, and only fewer details were projected. The ''Badr-1'' crushed the global perception about the space program, and the space program was only dedicated to its military applications.

The satellite formed the derivatives and the basis of the [[Badr-B]] satellite.<ref name="Online Induction "/> The Badr-B was more sophisticated than Badr-1, with a CCD camera for pictures of Earth and a system that allowed ground stations to change the satellite's direction in space.<ref name="Online Induction "/>

==Mission goals==
* Acquiring know-how for indigenous development of satellites
* Creating an infrastructure for future satellite development activities
* Testing the performance of indigenously developed satellite subsystems in space environment
* Performing experiments in real-time voice and data communications between two user ground stations
* Demonstrating store-and-forward type message communication
* Educating the country's academic, scientific and amateur community in the tracking and use of low-earth-orbiting satellites

==Technical configuration==

{| class="wikitable"
| '''Structure''' || 26-Facet [[polyhedron]]
|-
| '''Thermal Design''' || passive
|-
| '''Mass''' || 52&nbsp;kg
|-
| '''Solar Panels''' || 17 square facets
|-
| '''Average Conditioned Power''' || 12.5 watts
|-
| '''Down Link''' || [[Very high frequency|VHF]]
|-
| '''Up Link''' || [[Ultra high frequency|UHF]]
|-
| '''Telemetry Channels''' || 32
|-
| '''Sensors''' || temperature, current, voltage
|-
| '''Data Transmission Rates''' || 1200,600,300,150 [[baud]]
|-
| '''DCE Memory Bank''' || 8 [[kilobyte]]
|-
| '''Launch Date''' || 16 July 1990
|-
| '''Reentry Date''' || 9 December 1990
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Spaceflight}}
* [[Badr-B]]
* [[Badr (satellite)]]
* [[Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.suparco.gov.pk/badar_1.asp Official SUPARCO site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928032157/http://www.suparco.gov.pk/badar_1.asp |date=28 September 2007 }}
* [http://www.spacetoday.org/Satellites/Hamsats/Hamsats1990s/Hamsats90sBadr.html Space Today writeup]
* [http://www2.arrl.org/news/features/2003/07/10/1/ ARRL site]

{{Badr satellite program}}
{{Pakistani Space Program}}
{{Orbital launches in 1990}}

[[Category:Satellites formerly orbiting Earth]]
[[Category:Badr satellites]]
[[Category:History of science and technology in Pakistan]]
[[Category:First artificial satellites of a country]]
[[Category:Government of Benazir Bhutto]]
[[Category:China–Pakistan relations]]
[[Category:Spacecraft launched in 1990]]
[[Category:Communications satellites of Pakistan]]