The Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, commonly referred to as SUPARCO, is an agency responsible for the national space program of Pakistan. It was established in 1961 as a committee responsible for Pakistan’s space program, and Dr. Abdus Salam was appointed as the chairman. The main task of SUPARCO is to conduct research in space science and space technology and to develop its peaceful application for the benefit of the country. For Pakistan’s space program, the era of 1961–1972 marked close cooperation with the United States for the development and testing of the Rehbar Series Sounding Rockets, which were Pakistan’s first ever rockets. To broaden its influence, SUPARCO also engaged in collaboration with numerous other foreign space agencies and organizations.
Era of 1972–2011 and the Badr series
From 1972 to 2011, Pakistan’s space program was mostly unsuccessful, especially from 1972 to 1990. The space program had been disrupted by political instability and economic difficulties. In 1977, Gen(r) Zia-ul-Haq (Late) imposed martial law in Pakistan. In 1979, the USSR intervened in Afghanistan and shifted Pakistan’s priorities. The USSR withdrew its forces from Afghanistan in February 1989. Pakistan’s law and enforcement agencies posited that the USSR planned to capture Pakistani tech, so any advancements were delayed hugely as a safety measure. Pakistan launched Badr-B in 2001, Paksat-1R in 2011, and the PRSS-1 & PAK TES-1A in 2018. Creating the “Pakistan Space Weather Centre” (PSWC), one of SUPARCO’s most recent initiatives, is evidence of the Commission’s dedication to cutting-edge technology. PSWC offers invaluable data on solar radiations, geomagnetic weather events, ionosphere conditions, and maritime satellite imagery, thus underscoring SUPARCO’s role as a pioneering force in Pakistan’s scientific and technological landscape.
Era 2011 onward and Vision 2040
In July 2011, the National Command Authority approved Space Program 2040. 5 GEO and 6 LEO satellites are supposed to be launched by 2040. Vision 2040 started with the launch of Paksat-1R on 11 August 2011. The future of Pakistan’s space program looks prosperous on its own, but where do we stand in comparison to our counterparts in India and other regional stakeholders?. Pakistan was among the first 10 countries to start a space program but owing to the always prevailing unfavorable economic and political environment, coupled with regional instability and other factors, this program hasn’t continued consistently.
When Pakistan started its space program, it had a Nobel Prize winner as the head of their space affairs and continuous support from America’s NASA. But after the departure of Dr. Abdus Salam, the space program has only seen new lows in every decade. India, who wasn’t even a part of the space race when Pakistan started pursuing space legacy, has outpaced Pakistan and already landed on the moon with their Chandrayaan-3 Module.
Recent efforts to overcome these mistakes and hurdles through an improved domestic strategy and smarter international relations are promising. The Institute of Space Technology (IST) in Islamabad announced that Pakistan’s first lunar mission, iCube-Q, is scheduled for launch on 3 May at 12:50 PM (Pakistan Standard Time) aboard China’s Chang’e 6 lunar probe from Hainan, China. This collaborative effort involves Pakistan’s national space agency Suparco, along with China’s Shanghai University SJTU. In 2022, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) extended a distinctive opportunity to member states via the Asia Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO) to include a student-built payload on the Chang’e 6 mission bound for the moon. Pakistan’s ICUBE-Q was chosen. While this might be a mere ride to the space by China to Pakistan, at least it has given the masses in Pakistan something to celebrate as media houses in Pakistan continue to tell half-cooked story to the viewers, terming this space visit as Pakistan’s own truly.
Even after this promising prospect, SUPARCO nevertheless faces challenges. The primary hurdle it faces is inadequate funding and pathetic leadership. With a budget of just $26 million for 2023, SUPARCO operates with limited financial resources compared to significant space agencies such as the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), which boasts a yearly budget exceeding 1.5 billion USD. This financial disparity underscores the pressing need for increased investment to realize Pakistan’s space potential. Furthermore, the country’s adverse effects of political changes and instability can disrupt long-term planning and continuity, hindering the agency’s ability to carry out sustained, visionary projects. Not to mention how the amount of unfit people & fillers it has seen and how they have affected the growth prospect of the space program.
Addressing these challenges will be crucial for SUPARCO to unlock the full spectrum of opportunities space technology offers for Pakistan’s development. Notably, success in this area can be ensured only with sustained political commitment to space development. Pakistan, despite being a nuclear power, has not been able to build its own indigenously made launcher and has limited space capabilities. It has made serious efforts to enact its position in space observation and exploration. Pakistan’s space program was initiated in 1961 and began to move forward in cooperation with the United States for the Apollo mission but couldn’t continue its pace. The economic challenges, political instability and sanctions affected SUPARCO’s progress in the space