A more subdued strategic struggle is taking place hundreds of kilometres above Earth, more than a year after India and Pakistan withdrew from the edge after Operation Sindoor.
With significant Chinese assistance, Pakistan has quickly increased the scope of its space-based surveillance capabilities. In just 16 months, it launched six Earth-observation satellites, building a constellation that can routinely monitor Indian territory.
Compared to Pakistan's space program, which has always moved slowly, the rapid speed of development represents a significant shift.
Since the establishment of the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) in 1961, Pakistan has launched only a handful of satellites over several decades. However, it launched six new Earth-observation satellites, including optical imaging, hyperspectral, and remote-sensing platforms, between January 2025 and April 2026.

It's interesting to note that the launches started prior to the Pahalgam attack and India's Operation Sindoor reprisal.
According to experts, the significance resides not just in the quantity of satellites but also in their combined capabilities.This sixteen-month burst has produced a constellation that is not a civilian earth observation system with incidental military uses. In a blog article examining the recent wave of launches, retired Indian Navy flag officer Rear Admiral Sudhir Pillai stated, "Its orbital architecture, its sensor complement, and above all its institutional provenance tell a different and more consequential story."

According to The Print, the constellation consists of satellites that can take high-resolution pictures, recognise changes on the ground, spot objects that are concealed, and carry out continuous surveillance over regions of strategic concern.
Launched in October 2025, Pakistan's hyperspectral satellite HS-1 is capable of identifying items that could elude traditional optical sensors and differentiating between various materials. In the meantime, more recent satellites with advanced imaging and AI-assisted data processing capabilities include PRSC-EO2 and PRSC-EO3.
China has made much of this growth possible. While some of the satellites were constructed through partnerships between Chinese and Pakistani organisations, others were launched atop Chinese rockets. According to analysts, the collaboration encompasses technology transfer, satellite design, and data-sharing agreements in addition to launch services.

PRSC-EO3, which was introduced in April 2026, is one very noteworthy example. According to an independent review by the US-based space situational awareness company COMSPOC, the satellite was positioned in an orbit that was more suited for frequent observations over South Asia than for worldwide coverage. More frequent passes over Pakistan and northern India, including Jammu and Kashmir, are made possible by such an orbit, which may allow for many observations every day.
According to space and defence specialists, Pakistan may be able to see military deployments, infrastructure development, and strategic activities throughout the area much more clearly thanks to this new surveillance system.

The technique might greatly improve Islamabad's ability to obtain intelligence when combined with China's own advanced Earth observation networks, such as the Yaogan and Gaofen satellite series.
WHY ISRO AND INDIA ARE CONCERNED
India is going through a delicate period right now.
ISRO has experienced problems with a number of strategic satellite projects over the last two years, including malfunctions that have an impact on Earth-observation and navigation programs.Although India is still a considerably more developed space power overall, some observers caution that the nation's strategic focus needs to keep up with the quickly developing military-space capabilities in the region.The lesson for military planners is becoming more and more obvious: who controls information from space may have just as much of an impact on future battles as the weaponry used on the ground.
The struggle for supremacy in South Asia is continuously expanding into space as China helps Pakistan increase its orbital footprint.