Overview

• Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has assigned Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission to oversee the country’s first lunar mission slated for 2035.
• Islamabad is finalizing arrangements to send its first astronaut to China’s Tiangong space station by 2026 due to a lack of independent launch capability.
• The government will develop a 35-kilogram lunar rover for China’s Chang’e-8 mission in 2028 to explore the Moon’s south pole.
• SUPARCO operates on an annual budget of about $36 million and has been led by retired military officers, limiting its scientific leadership.
• Pakistan’s lunar ambitions trail India’s successful Chandrayaan landing and upcoming Gaganyaan crewed flight, underscoring its reliance on Beijing’s technology.