Despite initiating its space program nearly ten years prior to India, Pakistan is now targeting the landing of its first spacecraft on the Moon by 2035, with assistance from its longstanding ally, China. In sharp contrast, India accomplished this feat in 2023 with the successful launch of its Chandrayaan-3 mission. As reported by Geo News, the announcement was made by Pakistan’s Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal. This declaration occurred during his visit to China, where he sought to enhance scientific and strategic collaboration, and was made in a meeting with senior Chinese officials on Monday. The task has been entrusted to Pakistan’s space agency, SUPARCO; however, the agency has yet to independently launch a single satellite, much less carry out a space mission. Iqbal revealed that Pakistan will provide a 35-kg lunar rover for China’s Chang’e-8 mission in 2028, which aims to explore the Moon’s South Pole. The rover is anticipated to conduct scientific experiments, analyze the terrain, and evaluate resource utilization. Nevertheless, this collaboration highlights Pakistan’s significant dependence on Chinese technology and expertise, underscoring its limited independent capabilities.
Furthermore, Pakistan intends to send its first astronaut to space by 2026 by utilizing a ride on China’s space station, which reflects a distinct lack of self-sufficiency in space exploration. In addition to space endeavors, Pakistan is also pursuing greater Chinese support in nuclear energy and advanced technologies such as quantum computing, areas where it possesses minimal domestic capacity. These developments indicate Pakistan’s increasing reliance on Beijing as the primary driver of its scientific and technological aspirations. Pakistan’s space program, overseen by the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), was founded in 1961 by Nobel laureate Dr. Abdus Salam. Despite this early inception, Pakistan continues to fall significantly behind its regional competitor India, primarily due to its excessive dependence on China and the ongoing political and economic challenges faced by the country.
