Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission
Encyclopedia
The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Urdu:ا سپا ر كو, or اداره خلائ تحقيقات; best known as Suparco), is an executive agency of the Government of Pakistan
, responsible for nation's public and civil space program and aeronautics
and aerospace
research. It was established in its modern form in 1961 by an executive order of President
Field Marshal Muhammad Ayub Khan on the advice of its founding director, Abdus Salam
. The agency is part of Pakistan Defence Forces's Strategic Plans Division (SPD) under the current control of Pakistan Army
. The SPD is headed by the Army's retired three star general Lieutenant-General Khalid Kadwai. SPD headquarters are located at the Pakistan Air Force
controlled Chaklala Cantonment
.
The executive figure of the agency is Major-General Ahmed Bilal who is heading the agency as the current chairman of SUPARCO, while he is also serving his tenure as Colonel Commandant
of Pakistan Army Corps of Signals Engineering
.
's Physics Department in 1957, following the successful launch of Soviet Union's
Sputnik 1
However, due to the political instability
, the programme was not undertaken seriously by the Government of Pakistan. Nobel
Laureate Abdus Salam
had played a major and influential role in the development of Pakistan's science policy. It was Salam's advice to the President
, Field Marshal Ayub Khan, to establish a National Space Agency of Pakistan, Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) on September 16th 1961. It was decided to set up a ےommittee dealing with space science
s, consequently, a Space Sciences Research Wing of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
(PAEC
). It was established through an Executive Order of then President of Pakistan Field Marshal Ayub Khan which was addressed to I. H. Usmani, the Chairman of PAEC. The program of rocket test firings
was entrusted to the Chairman of PAEC.
On 7 June 1961, under the leadership of Air Force
's Air Commodore
(Brigadier-General) Władysław Józef Marian Turowicz, a two-stage rocket
, Rehbar-I
, was launched from the Sonmiani Flight Test Center
. Pakistan
was the third country in Asia and the tenth in the world to conduct such a launching.
On 25 July 1964 Salam arranged a meeting with President Ayub Khan where SUPARCO was placed under the direct control of the President of Pakistan. On 8 March 1966, President Ayub Khan constituted SUPARCO as a separate organisation under the administrative control of Abdus Salam. By Presidential order, Salam was made its first chair and given the powers previously held by the PAEC Chairman.
Abdus Salam also established space centres in different cities of Pakistan, notably in Karachi
and Lahore
. Abdus Salam's effort was involved in the development and installation of a high-powered astronomical telescope at the Karachi University, known as KU Observatory
. With the establishment of SUPARCO, Pakistan was the first South Asia
n country to start a space programme. In 1967, Abdus Salam was succeeded by Air Commdore Władysław Turowicz, as he was made administrator of SUPARCO. Air Commdore Turowicz led the foundation of research activities in SUPARCO to the field of aeronautics sciences.
Munir Ahmad Khan
played a major and influential rôle in SUPARCO research activities. On 13 December 1979, Munir Ahmad Khan met with Chief of Army Staff and President
General Zia-ul-Haq where Khan joined in efforts to establish SUPARCO as an independent organisation and its elevation as a Commission. On his advise, the Government of Pakistan made Salim Mehmud
, a nuclear engineer, as the head of the agency. In 1990, Badr-I — Pakistan's first locally built satellite — was launched by the China National Space Administration
(CNSA) of People's Republic of China
(PRC). In 1990, Suparco launched another satellite programme — Badr-B
, with the technical assistance provided by Space Innovations Limited (SIL) of the United Kingdom
(UK). The spacecraft's sub-systems
were developed and manufactured by SIL while the spacecraft integration was performed by SUPARCO. The programme was completed in 1993, and it was expected to launch the same year. However, the target could not be achieved on time. In 1994, plans to launch the spacecraft did not materialise, and the launch was moved forward to 2001. In 1999, Abdul Qadeer Khan
approached to then-Chief of Army Staff and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee
General Pervez Musharraf where he was unable to convince General Musharraf to launch the satellite from Flight Test Center as Ghauri-I
as its space booster. In 2001, the spacecraft was finally launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome
, as Ukrainian Zenit-2
rocket as its boost launcher. At present, SUPARCO is currently developing the Remote-sensing satellite
, and in the near future it will be launched depending on the available funds. In August 14 of 2011, the Paksat-IR will be launched from Xichang Satellite Launch Centre (XSLC) to replace the vintage Paksat-I
satellite.
. Fired from Sonmiani
Beach, 50 km west of Karachi
, the rocket reached an altitude of almost 130 km. The US space agency NASA
hailed the launch as the beginning of "a program of continuing cooperation in space research of mutual interest."
The NASA
- SUPARCO cooperation agreement called for the training of Pakistani scientists and technicians at NASA
space science centres. Before the June 1962 launch, NASA had begun to train Pakistani scientists at Wallops Island and the Goddard Space Flight Centers. NASA
also set up fellowships and research associate programmes at American universities for "advanced training and experience."
near Karachi) and FTR (Flight Testing Range) located in Sonmiani, also in Balochistan, near Karachi.
On 7 June 1962 at 19:53 hours (PST
) Rehbar-I
was successfully launched from Sonmiani Satellite Launch Center
. It soared to about 130 km into the atmosphere
, making Pakistan the third country in Asia
and the 10th in the world to conduct such a launch. Rehbar-II was also successfully launched from Sonmiani on 9 June 1962. The data received from Rehbar-I and Rehbar-II gave scientists information on wind shear and structure of layers of the upper atmosphere extending beyond the stratosphere
. The data collected also helped in the study of cloud formation, cyclones and weather over the Arabian Sea
and the coastal areas of Pakistan. Similar tests were done in the years after. The successful launch carried a payload of 80 pounds of sodium and it streaked up about 130 km into the atmosphere. SUPARCO tested its Rehbar rocket series for more than a decade. The Program was decommissioned on 8 April 1972.
Scientists at Suparco later participated in the development of Shaheen missile system
, under Samar Mubarakmand
in 1995
Recently, Suparco has already tested two high-altitude hypersonic sounding rockets; Shahpar and Rakhnum. Shahpar is a 7 meter solid-fuel rocket two stage rocket that can carry a payload of 55–70 kilograms to an altitude of 950 kilometers. And Rakhnum, which is a 3 stage liquid-fuel rocket can lift a payload of 38–56 kilograms to an altitude of 1000 kilometers. Shahpar and Rakhnum has crossed the Mach Number
of 5.0. Both of rockets have achieved Mach number of 6.1.
began to concentrate to developed its first SLV in sometime in 1998. On March 2001, Science Advisor to the President
Abdul Qadeer Khan
publicly announced that Pakistani aerospace scientists were in the general process of building the country's first Expendable Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV) and that the project had been assigned to SUPARCO, which also built the Badr satellites
.
Abdul Qadeer Khan also cited the fact that India
had made rapid advances in launch technology and satellite manufacture as another motivation for developing an indigenous launch capabilities. Abdul Majid
, then-chairman of SUPARCO, confirmed Khan's statement and said "Pakistan envision a low-cost SLV
and Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) inroder to launch light-weight satellite into low-earth orbits. Abdul Qadeer Khan also added that" Pakistan has very robust IRBMs which can launch geostationary orbiting satellites. All Pakistan has to do is to erase Delhi or Kolkota from the target and point it towards the sky. Instead of Hydrogen bombs and Atomic bombs the missiles can easily carry a payload of a satellite".
In March 2005, President General Musharraf authorized renewed research and development on an indigenous launch capability, which would be able to orbit a planned domestically built satellite, the PAKSAT-IR. During the IDEAS 2002 defense exhibition Pakdef spotted two similar models of Pakistani Satellite Launch Vehicles.
The first model points out a possible three stage of Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV). Judging from other similar SLV's, it is estimated that it can place a payload weighing around 80–100 kilogram to an orbit 450–490 kilometers above Earth's surface. However the exact data remains unknown. The second model of the Satellite Launch Vehicle seems similar to the first model however, with four extra boosters. Many nations with SLV technology developed boosters based on their missile technology. Therefore it is fair to assume that the boosters on the second model might also be based on one of Pakistan's ballistic missiles.
On August 2006, after Prime minister
Shaukat Aziz's official visit to People's Republic of China
, Prime Minister Aziz called a meeting of Suparco's scientists and engineers, where Prime minister was briefed by SUPARCO's scientist on the status of the both SLV programme. At present, the status of such program is remained unclear and unknown.
In August 18 of 2009, Samar Mubarak Mand reported that Pakistan would launch its own satellite in April 2011 it made some things seem all to obvious to analyst familiar with the subject. According to Global Security.org, it is expected the satellite would be launched from Shaheen-III booster from unknown Pakistan's space facility.
SUPARCO started its first digital communication satellite in 1986. The Government of Pakistan
held talks with United States
but the U.S Government did not show any motives in Pakistan's space Program. Instead China
offers Pakistan to launch its satellite from its soil. The satellite was shipped to People's Republic of China
. Pakistan
launched its Badr-1, Pakistan's first indigenously developed Digital Communications Experimental satellite, was launched in 1990 from Xichang Satellite Launch Center
, People's Republic of China
aboard a Long March 2E
. The satellite successfully completed its designed life. The launch of satellite was the key success to SUPARCO. After badr-1, SUPARCO continued to developed its badr-B satellite after the successfully developed satellite.
. It was launched by Hughes Space and Communications Company for Indonesia
. Later Indonesia declared the satellite unusable after an electric power anomaly. The insurance claims were paid and the title was transferred to Hughes Space and Communications Company. HGS-3 was then acquired by Pakistan from M/s Hughes Global Services on "Full Time Leasing " and relocated to Pakistan's reserved slot at 38 Degree. After a series of orbital maneuvers, the Satellite was stabilized at the final location on 20 December 2002 with 0-degree inclination. The satellite is in position at the Pakistani-licensed orbital location, 38° east longitude. Paksat 1 is operational and is ready to offer services. The PAKSAT Satellite will be decommissioned from its services in the late of 2012.
rocket. The 11,000 lb Satellite was built by China Academy of Space Technology
on DFH-4
space platform. This satellite is to replace PAKSAT-1 which is to be decomissioned by end of 2011. The satellite will support all conventional and modern Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) applications including broadband, E-learning
, telemedicine
, digital TV and emergency communications. PAKSAT-1R satellite will have a total of up to 30 transponders: 18 in Ku-band and 12 in C-band. To ensure high degree of reliability / availability of the system, two (02) fully redundant Satellite Ground Control Stations (SGCS) would be established in Karachi and Lahore, one to act as the Main and the other as Backup respectively.
. The project manager was Abdul Majid (physicist)
. According to the program, the satellite was to launch on June 1996. However, when SUPARCO faced severe global sanctions, the program was put on hold. SUPARCO, however, secretly continued to develop its satellite. The project was completed in 1996. The satellite was planned to launch from the Sonmiani Satellite Launch Center
. But it was postponed. On 10 December 2001 at 17:19 hours UT
, Pakistan
launched its second satellite, Badr-B
, an Earth observation satellite
from Baikonur Cosmodrome
, Kazakhstan
aboard a Russian Zenit-2
rocket
, Russia
. According to the Government of Pakistan, SUPARCO has upgraded the Badr-B Low Earth Observational Satellite. According to the Interior Ministry of Pakistan, the Satellite is being using to monitored Pakistan's western border.
series of experimental Low Earth Observational
satellites (BADR-1 and BADR-B) in the 1990s and early 2000s, SUPARCO now plans to launch high-resolution Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite
(PRSSS) to meet the national and international user requirements in the field of satellite imagery.
A feasibility and system definition study was concluded in January 2007 which recommended the launch of a constellation of optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar
(SAR) satellites to ensure that the domestic and international user requirements are competitively met. In this respect the RFP for RSSS consultancy services was launched in July 2007. Launch of RFP for the manufacturing of the satellite is planned in the third quarter of year 2008.
PRSS is planned to be a progressive and sustainable program. Initially, SUPARCO plans to launch an optical satellite with payload of 2.5-meter PAN in 700 km sun-synchronous orbit by the end of year 2011, which will be followed by a series of optical and SAR satellites in the future. Necessary infrastructure for ground control and image reception and processing is also planned to be set up. The satellite is underdevelopment process and it is being developed by SUPARCO. However, it is unclear whether the satellite will launch from Pakistan's satellite launchers or Chinese satellite launchers.
.
Pervez Musharraf
outlined his vision for SUPARCO by laying down a clearly defined agenda for the national space agency to pursue and deliver in minimum time. Musharraf had made it clear that:
.
In his [Musharraf] book, In the Line of Fire: A Memoir, Musharraf has expressed his desired that "SUPARCO has suffered severe economic and global sanctions but in future Pakistan will send its satellites from its soil". Revitalization, restructuring, reorientation and modernization of SUPARCO are the main objectives outlined by President Musharraf. SUPARCO is to be brought at par with other strategic organizations around the world. Specific objectives include research and development of communication satellites, Remote sensing
satellite
s and satellite launch vehicle
s, with the objective of bringing rapid growth and socio-economic development in the fields of education
, astronomy
, Cosmology
, Exobiology, Stellar science, Planetary science
, Planets, Extrasolar Planet
, Dwarf Planets, Comets, Asteroids, astrophysics
, astrobiology
, astrochemistry
, aerospace engineering
, rocket
propellent engineering
, information technology
, communication
s, agriculture
sector, mineral excavation and atmospheric sciences.
committed to work with Pakistan to launch three Earth-resource satellites over the next five years. In May 2007, China (as a strategic partner) agreed and signed an accord with Pakistan to enhance cooperation in the areas of space science and technology. Pakistan-China bilateral cooperation in the space industry
could span a broad spectrum, including climate science, clean energy technologies, atmospheric and earth science
s, and marine sciences. On the occasion of Chinese launch of PAKSAT-1R in China, Pakistan's ambassador to China expressed the natural desire of Pakistani nation for China to send a Pakistani astronaut to space aboard a Chinese spacecraft.
(MOU
). Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey and Turkish Aerospace Industries
's representative signed an accord with SUPARCO to enhance the cooperation in the satellite development program.
Government of Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan is a federal parliamentary system, with an indirectly-elected President as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Armed Forces, and an indirectly-elected Prime Minister as the Head of Government. The President’s appointment and term are...
, responsible for nation's public and civil space program and aeronautics
Aeronautics
Aeronautics is the science involved with the study, design, and manufacturing of airflight-capable machines, or the techniques of operating aircraft and rocketry within the atmosphere...
and aerospace
Aerospace
Aerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...
research. It was established in its modern form in 1961 by an executive order of President
President of Pakistan
The President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...
Field Marshal Muhammad Ayub Khan on the advice of its founding director, Abdus Salam
Abdus Salam
Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk (Urdu: محمد عبد السلام, pronounced , (January 29, 1926– November 21, 1996) was a Pakistani theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate in Physics for his work on the electroweak unification of the...
. The agency is part of Pakistan Defence Forces's Strategic Plans Division (SPD) under the current control of Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
. The SPD is headed by the Army's retired three star general Lieutenant-General Khalid Kadwai. SPD headquarters are located at the Pakistan Air Force
Pakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
controlled Chaklala Cantonment
Chaklala Cantonment
Chaklala Cantonment is a cantonment adjacent to PAF Base Chaklala in Rawalpindi, Punjab province, Pakistan....
.
The executive figure of the agency is Major-General Ahmed Bilal who is heading the agency as the current chairman of SUPARCO, while he is also serving his tenure as Colonel Commandant
Colonel Commandant
Colonel Commandant is a military title used in the armed forces of some English-speaking countries. The title, not a substantive rank, could denote a senior colonel with authority over fellow colonels...
of Pakistan Army Corps of Signals Engineering
Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers
The Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers, , is an active military administrative staff corps, and a major science and technology command of the Pakistan Army...
.
History
The research in space sciences and aeronautical development was insued by the physicists at the Punjab UniversityUniversity of the Punjab
University of the Punjab , colloquially known as Punjab University, is located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The University of the Punjab is the oldest and biggest University of Pakistan. The University of the Punjab was formally established with the convening of the first meeting of its...
's Physics Department in 1957, following the successful launch of Soviet Union's
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
Sputnik 1
Sputnik 1
Sputnik 1 ) was the first artificial satellite to be put into Earth's orbit. It was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957. The unanticipated announcement of Sputnik 1s success precipitated the Sputnik crisis in the United States and ignited the Space...
However, due to the political instability
One Unit
One-Unit was the title of a scheme launched by the federal government of Pakistan to merge the four provinces of West Pakistan into one homogenous unit, as a counterbalance against the numerical domination of the ethnic Bengalis of East Pakistan...
, the programme was not undertaken seriously by the Government of Pakistan. Nobel
Nobel Prize in Physics
The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded once a year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895 and awarded since 1901; the others are the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Prize, and...
Laureate Abdus Salam
Abdus Salam
Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk (Urdu: محمد عبد السلام, pronounced , (January 29, 1926– November 21, 1996) was a Pakistani theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate in Physics for his work on the electroweak unification of the...
had played a major and influential role in the development of Pakistan's science policy. It was Salam's advice to the President
President of Pakistan
The President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...
, Field Marshal Ayub Khan, to establish a National Space Agency of Pakistan, Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) on September 16th 1961. It was decided to set up a ےommittee dealing with space science
Space science
The term space science may mean:* The study of issues specifically related to space travel and space exploration, including space medicine.* Science performed in outer space ....
s, consequently, a Space Sciences Research Wing of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, , is an administrative governmental and autonomous science and technology governmental department of Pakistan, responsible for development of nuclear energy and development of nuclear power sector in Pakistan...
(PAEC
Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, , is an administrative governmental and autonomous science and technology governmental department of Pakistan, responsible for development of nuclear energy and development of nuclear power sector in Pakistan...
). It was established through an Executive Order of then President of Pakistan Field Marshal Ayub Khan which was addressed to I. H. Usmani, the Chairman of PAEC. The program of rocket test firings
Chronology of Pakistan's rocket tests
These are tables showing all the tests of rockets that have been carried out in Pakistan since the early 1960s. Note that at the bottom of the list, some of the recent ballistic missile tests have also been mentioned.-June 7, 1962 - April 28, 1972:...
was entrusted to the Chairman of PAEC.
On 7 June 1961, under the leadership of Air Force
Pakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
's Air Commodore
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
(Brigadier-General) Władysław Józef Marian Turowicz, a two-stage rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
, Rehbar-I
Rehbar-I
Rehbar-I or Rehbar-1 was a family member of Pakistan's space launch vehicles, Rehbar Sounding Rocket Program. Rehbar-I was the first rocket launched into outer space by the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission...
, was launched from the Sonmiani Flight Test Center
Sonmiani
Sonmiani is a coastal town in the southeast of Balochistan province in Pakistan, approximately 145 kilometres northwest of Karachi. The coast of Sonmiani is the northernmost point of the Arabian Sea. The town also serves as a Union Council of Hub Tehsil. Sonmiani is noted for its space research...
. Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
was the third country in Asia and the tenth in the world to conduct such a launching.
On 25 July 1964 Salam arranged a meeting with President Ayub Khan where SUPARCO was placed under the direct control of the President of Pakistan. On 8 March 1966, President Ayub Khan constituted SUPARCO as a separate organisation under the administrative control of Abdus Salam. By Presidential order, Salam was made its first chair and given the powers previously held by the PAEC Chairman.
Abdus Salam also established space centres in different cities of Pakistan, notably in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
and Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
. Abdus Salam's effort was involved in the development and installation of a high-powered astronomical telescope at the Karachi University, known as KU Observatory
KU Observatory
The K.U. Observatory or Karachi University Observatory is located in the campus area of Karachi University. The KU space observatory is operated by the Institute of Space and Planetary Astrophysics and stands majestically, 15,000 feet atop a hill and surprisingly, was built to last. The space...
. With the establishment of SUPARCO, Pakistan was the first South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
n country to start a space programme. In 1967, Abdus Salam was succeeded by Air Commdore Władysław Turowicz, as he was made administrator of SUPARCO. Air Commdore Turowicz led the foundation of research activities in SUPARCO to the field of aeronautics sciences.
Munir Ahmad Khan
Munir Ahmad Khan
Munir Ahmad Khan , HI, was a Pakistani nuclear engineer and a scientist who served as the Chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission from 1972 to 1991...
played a major and influential rôle in SUPARCO research activities. On 13 December 1979, Munir Ahmad Khan met with Chief of Army Staff and President
President of Pakistan
The President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...
General Zia-ul-Haq where Khan joined in efforts to establish SUPARCO as an independent organisation and its elevation as a Commission. On his advise, the Government of Pakistan made Salim Mehmud
Salim Mehmud
Dr. Salim Mehmud, also known as Salim Mehmood, is a Pakistani rocket scientist and a nuclear engineer. He is the former chaiman of Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission . He has served as chief scientist at the Defence Science and Technology Organization...
, a nuclear engineer, as the head of the agency. In 1990, Badr-I — Pakistan's first locally built satellite — was launched by the China National Space Administration
China National Space Administration
The China National Space Administration is the national space agency of the People's Republic of China responsible for the national space program. It is responsible for planning and development of space activities...
(CNSA) of People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
(PRC). In 1990, Suparco launched another satellite programme — Badr-B
Badr-B
Badr-B The Badr-B payload was equipped with several CCD cameras, compact dosimeter, a telemetry system, charge detector and a temperature control unit...
, with the technical assistance provided by Space Innovations Limited (SIL) of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(UK). The spacecraft's sub-systems
System
System is a set of interacting or interdependent components forming an integrated whole....
were developed and manufactured by SIL while the spacecraft integration was performed by SUPARCO. The programme was completed in 1993, and it was expected to launch the same year. However, the target could not be achieved on time. In 1994, plans to launch the spacecraft did not materialise, and the launch was moved forward to 2001. In 1999, Abdul Qadeer Khan
Abdul Qadeer Khan
Abdul Qadeer Khan , also known in Pakistan as Mohsin-e-Pakistan , D.Eng, Sc.D, HI, NI , FPAS; more widely known as Dr. A. Q...
approached to then-Chief of Army Staff and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee
Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Pakistan
The Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee , is a military administrative body of high-ranking and senior uniformed military leaders and officers in the Pakistan Defense Forces who advises the civilian Government of Pakistan, National Security Council, and Defence Minister on important military matters...
General Pervez Musharraf where he was unable to convince General Musharraf to launch the satellite from Flight Test Center as Ghauri-I
Ghauri (missile)
The Hatf V, named Ghauri , is a medium-range ballistic missile developed by Kahuta Research Laboratories of Pakistan. Powered by a single stage liquid fuel rocket motor, the missile has an optimum range of 1,500 km and can carry a payload of 700 kg...
as its space booster. In 2001, the spacecraft was finally launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome
Baikonur Cosmodrome
The Baikonur Cosmodrome , also called Tyuratam, is the world's first and largest operational space launch facility. It is located in the desert steppe of Kazakhstan, about east of the Aral Sea, north of the Syr Darya river, near Tyuratam railway station, at 90 meters above sea level...
, as Ukrainian Zenit-2
Zenit-2
The Zenit-2 is a Ukrainian, previously Soviet, expendable carrier rocket. First flown in 1985, it has been launched 37 times, with six failures. It is a member of the Zenit family of rockets, and was designed by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau. A modified version, the Zenit-2S, is used as the first two...
rocket as its boost launcher. At present, SUPARCO is currently developing the Remote-sensing satellite
Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite
The Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite , commercially known as Remote Sensing Satellite System is an dual purpose Earth observational and optical satellite which is schedule to launch by the end year of 2011 for the replacement of Badr-II satellite. The satellite is being manufacture indigenously...
, and in the near future it will be launched depending on the available funds. In August 14 of 2011, the Paksat-IR will be launched from Xichang Satellite Launch Centre (XSLC) to replace the vintage Paksat-I
PAKSAT
Paksat-1E , formerly Palapa C1, HGS-3 and Anatolia 1 is a geosynchronous communications satellite owned by Boeing and operated under lease by Paksat. It was launched on 31 January 1996 as Palapa C1 for Indonesia, and is expected to be replaced by PAKSAT-1R in 2011...
satellite.
NASA-SUPARCO Cooperation
In 1961 Pakistan set up the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) with the announced goal, not yet reached, of launching Pakistani satellites aboard Pakistani rockets. In June 1962, the United States launched the first rocket from Pakistani soil. The launch used a combination of two US rocket motors, the Nike-CajunNike-Cajun
The Nike-Cajun was a two-stage sounding rocket built by combining a Nike base stage with a Cajun upper stage. It was launched 714 times between 1956 and 1976 and was the most frequently used sounding rocket of the western world...
. Fired from Sonmiani
Sonmiani
Sonmiani is a coastal town in the southeast of Balochistan province in Pakistan, approximately 145 kilometres northwest of Karachi. The coast of Sonmiani is the northernmost point of the Arabian Sea. The town also serves as a Union Council of Hub Tehsil. Sonmiani is noted for its space research...
Beach, 50 km west of Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, the rocket reached an altitude of almost 130 km. The US space agency NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
hailed the launch as the beginning of "a program of continuing cooperation in space research of mutual interest."
The NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
- SUPARCO cooperation agreement called for the training of Pakistani scientists and technicians at NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
space science centres. Before the June 1962 launch, NASA had begun to train Pakistani scientists at Wallops Island and the Goddard Space Flight Centers. NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
also set up fellowships and research associate programmes at American universities for "advanced training and experience."
SUPARCO Facilities
Major SUPARCO facilities are located in Karachi including its Headquarters off University Road, Karachi (adjoining the campus of Karachi University) , the SUPARCO Plant located at Hub (a township of coastal BalochistanBalochistan
Balochistan or Baluchistan is a region which covers parts of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. It can also refer to one of several modern and historical territories within that region:...
near Karachi) and FTR (Flight Testing Range) located in Sonmiani, also in Balochistan, near Karachi.
| Facility | Locations | Primary Functions |
|---|---|---|
| SUPARCO Plant | Karachi Karachi Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million... , Sindh Province |
The SUPARCO plant in Karachi was built in the mid-1980s to manufacture sounding rockets for upper atmosphere research. Pakistan's Hatf-I and Hatf-II ballistic missiles are believed to be derivatives of French sounding rockets built by or with assistance from the ESA. |
| Instrumentation Laboratories (IL) | Karachi, Sindh Province | The laboratories are responsible for the design and fabrication of data sensors for rockets, satellites, and ground equipment. |
| Aerospace Institute (AI) | Institute of Space Technology Institute of Space Technology The Institute of Space Technology , is located in Islamabad, Pakistan. It produces scientists and engineers in the field of space technology... (IST), Islamabad |
The Aerospace Institute is Pakistan's sole institution for training personnel in the fields of space technology. It also serves as a recruiting and training ground for engineers, scientists, and personnel involved in Pakistan's space programme. |
| Satellite Research and Development Center (SRDC) | Lahore, Punjab province | The research and satellite engineering development centre responsible for the design and development of satellites. |
| Satellite Ground Station SUPARCO Satellite Ground Station The SUPARCO Satellite Ground Station is an earth observation and remote sensing satellite control center. The SUPARCO's SGS center is a major space research centre of the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission , focusing on the earth observational and remote sensing technology.The space... (SGS) |
Rawat Rawat Rawat may refer to:* Rawat, Murree, a town in Punjab, Pakistan* Rawat Fort, early 16th century fort built by the Gakhars in Punjab, PakistanCommunities* Rawat Rajputs, ethnic group of India* Van Rawats, a native minority group from Uttarakhand, India.... , Islamabad Capital Territory Islamabad Capital Territory The Islamabad Capital Territory is one of the two federal territories of Pakistan. It includes Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan, and covers an area of 1,165.5 km² of which 906 km² is Islamabad proper... |
The SUPARCO-controlled earth observation and remote sensing satellite control space centre. |
| Flight Test Range (FTR) | Sonmiani Beach Sonmiani Beach Sonmiani Beach is a beach located in the Lasbela District of the Balochistan state of Pakistan. It is located in Sonmiani Bay. The beach is a two-hour drive from Karachi and is very popular amongst tourists.... , Balochistan Province |
The oldest and main launch facility of SUPARCO. |
| Mashhood Test Firing Range (MTFR) | Jhelum City, Punjab Province | The second orbital launch facility. |
Rehbar Sounding Rocket Project
PST
-Time zones:* Pacific Standard Time, UTC−8:00* Pakistan Standard Time, UTC+5:00* Philippine Standard Time, UTC+8:00-Science and technology:* Lead scandium tantalate, a ceramic material* Post-stall technology, aircraft control system-Places:...
) Rehbar-I
Rehbar-I
Rehbar-I or Rehbar-1 was a family member of Pakistan's space launch vehicles, Rehbar Sounding Rocket Program. Rehbar-I was the first rocket launched into outer space by the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission...
was successfully launched from Sonmiani Satellite Launch Center
Sonmiani
Sonmiani is a coastal town in the southeast of Balochistan province in Pakistan, approximately 145 kilometres northwest of Karachi. The coast of Sonmiani is the northernmost point of the Arabian Sea. The town also serves as a Union Council of Hub Tehsil. Sonmiani is noted for its space research...
. It soared to about 130 km into the atmosphere
Atmosphere
An atmosphere is a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass, and that is held in place by the gravity of the body. An atmosphere may be retained for a longer duration, if the gravity is high and the atmosphere's temperature is low...
, making Pakistan the third country in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and the 10th in the world to conduct such a launch. Rehbar-II was also successfully launched from Sonmiani on 9 June 1962. The data received from Rehbar-I and Rehbar-II gave scientists information on wind shear and structure of layers of the upper atmosphere extending beyond the stratosphere
Stratosphere
The stratosphere is the second major layer of Earth's atmosphere, just above the troposphere, and below the mesosphere. It is stratified in temperature, with warmer layers higher up and cooler layers farther down. This is in contrast to the troposphere near the Earth's surface, which is cooler...
. The data collected also helped in the study of cloud formation, cyclones and weather over the Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
and the coastal areas of Pakistan. Similar tests were done in the years after. The successful launch carried a payload of 80 pounds of sodium and it streaked up about 130 km into the atmosphere. SUPARCO tested its Rehbar rocket series for more than a decade. The Program was decommissioned on 8 April 1972.
Hatf Ballistic Missile Project
The militarization of the agency began in 1980s as Munir Ahmad Khan had gained its status as full commission. Nuclear engineer Salim Mehmud was made its administrator where the development of military programme began to take place. In 1980s, the scientists from Suparco had closely collaborated with KRL scientists in developing of Hatf missiles. The programme was developed in extreme secrecy and was finally revealed in 1989. In January 1989 a successful launch of an "indigenous multistage rocket into deep space" was said to have reached an altitude of more than 480 km. Pakistan would like to build satellite launchers and longer-range missiles, but it is unclear how far it has progressed. In 1981, the head of SUPARCO announced plans to test a launcher by 1986, and the Pakistani press reported in early 1989 that a multi-stage rocket had successfully launched a 150-kilogram payload over 600 kilometers into "deep space."Scientists at Suparco later participated in the development of Shaheen missile system
Shaheen-I
The Shaheen missile series, named after a species of falcon found in the mountains of Pakistan, was developed by NESCOM's National Defence Complex of Pakistan...
, under Samar Mubarakmand
Samar Mubarakmand
Samar Mubarakmand , , is a Pakistani nuclear physicist, who served as the founding chairman of National Engineering and Scientific Commission from 2001 till 2007. Samar Mubarak-Mand launched the Missile Integration Programme in 1987 which was successfully completed in 2005...
in 1995
Recently, Suparco has already tested two high-altitude hypersonic sounding rockets; Shahpar and Rakhnum. Shahpar is a 7 meter solid-fuel rocket two stage rocket that can carry a payload of 55–70 kilograms to an altitude of 950 kilometers. And Rakhnum, which is a 3 stage liquid-fuel rocket can lift a payload of 38–56 kilograms to an altitude of 1000 kilometers. Shahpar and Rakhnum has crossed the Mach Number
Mach number
Mach number is the speed of an object moving through air, or any other fluid substance, divided by the speed of sound as it is in that substance for its particular physical conditions, including those of temperature and pressure...
of 5.0. Both of rockets have achieved Mach number of 6.1.
Shaheen-III Programme
PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
began to concentrate to developed its first SLV in sometime in 1998. On March 2001, Science Advisor to the President
President of Pakistan
The President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...
Abdul Qadeer Khan
Abdul Qadeer Khan
Abdul Qadeer Khan , also known in Pakistan as Mohsin-e-Pakistan , D.Eng, Sc.D, HI, NI , FPAS; more widely known as Dr. A. Q...
publicly announced that Pakistani aerospace scientists were in the general process of building the country's first Expendable Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV) and that the project had been assigned to SUPARCO, which also built the Badr satellites
Badr (satellite)
Badr satellite program is the series of the robotic of spacecraft missions of Pakistan. It is the name of Pakistani robotic telecommunication and low Earth observatory satellites family. The first of satellites, Badr-1, was launched on July 1990....
.
Abdul Qadeer Khan also cited the fact that India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
had made rapid advances in launch technology and satellite manufacture as another motivation for developing an indigenous launch capabilities. Abdul Majid
Abdul Majid (physicist)
For other people with the same or similar name, see Abdul Majid Dr. Abdul Majid : is a Pakistani astrophysicist and scientist in the field of space technology. He is a former chairman of Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission from 1997 to 1999. He had made significant contributions to...
, then-chairman of SUPARCO, confirmed Khan's statement and said "Pakistan envision a low-cost SLV
SLV
SLV may refer to:*El Salvador*IATA code for Shimla Airport, India*Slovenian language*Satellite Launch Vehicle, an Indian space launcher*State Library of Victoria*iShares Silver Trust, an Exchange-traded fund with the New York Stock Exchange symbol SLV...
and Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) inroder to launch light-weight satellite into low-earth orbits. Abdul Qadeer Khan also added that" Pakistan has very robust IRBMs which can launch geostationary orbiting satellites. All Pakistan has to do is to erase Delhi or Kolkota from the target and point it towards the sky. Instead of Hydrogen bombs and Atomic bombs the missiles can easily carry a payload of a satellite".
In March 2005, President General Musharraf authorized renewed research and development on an indigenous launch capability, which would be able to orbit a planned domestically built satellite, the PAKSAT-IR. During the IDEAS 2002 defense exhibition Pakdef spotted two similar models of Pakistani Satellite Launch Vehicles.
The first model points out a possible three stage of Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV). Judging from other similar SLV's, it is estimated that it can place a payload weighing around 80–100 kilogram to an orbit 450–490 kilometers above Earth's surface. However the exact data remains unknown. The second model of the Satellite Launch Vehicle seems similar to the first model however, with four extra boosters. Many nations with SLV technology developed boosters based on their missile technology. Therefore it is fair to assume that the boosters on the second model might also be based on one of Pakistan's ballistic missiles.
On August 2006, after Prime minister
Prime Minister of Pakistan
The Prime Minister of Pakistan , is the Head of Government of Pakistan who is designated to exercise as the country's Chief Executive. By the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistan has the parliamentary democratic system of government...
Shaukat Aziz's official visit to People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, Prime Minister Aziz called a meeting of Suparco's scientists and engineers, where Prime minister was briefed by SUPARCO's scientist on the status of the both SLV programme. At present, the status of such program is remained unclear and unknown.
In August 18 of 2009, Samar Mubarak Mand reported that Pakistan would launch its own satellite in April 2011 it made some things seem all to obvious to analyst familiar with the subject. According to Global Security.org, it is expected the satellite would be launched from Shaheen-III booster from unknown Pakistan's space facility.
Communication satellites
Pakistan's first satellite, Badr-1, was launched by the Chinese in 1990. At presents, Pakistan controls 2 satellites in the space.Badr-1 Digital Communication Satellite
Government of Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan is a federal parliamentary system, with an indirectly-elected President as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Armed Forces, and an indirectly-elected Prime Minister as the Head of Government. The President’s appointment and term are...
held talks with United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
but the U.S Government did not show any motives in Pakistan's space Program. Instead China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
offers Pakistan to launch its satellite from its soil. The satellite was shipped to People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
launched its Badr-1, Pakistan's first indigenously developed Digital Communications Experimental satellite, was launched in 1990 from Xichang Satellite Launch Center
Xichang Satellite Launch Center
The Xichang Satellite Launch Center also known as Base 27 , is a People’s Republic of China space vehicle launch facility approximately 64 km northwest of Xichang City, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province....
, People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
aboard a Long March 2E
Long March 2E
The Long March 2E, also known as the Chang Zheng 2E, CZ-2E and LM-2E, was a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. Designed to launch commercial communications satellites, the Long March 2E was retired in favour of the Long March 3B, after two launch failures. Launched from complex 2 at the Xichang...
. The satellite successfully completed its designed life. The launch of satellite was the key success to SUPARCO. After badr-1, SUPARCO continued to developed its badr-B satellite after the successfully developed satellite.
PAKSAT-1 Telecommunication Satellite
Pakistan's Paksat-1 was originally known as PalapaPalapa
Palapa is a series of communication satellites owned by Indosat, an Indonesian telecommunication company.The name Palapa also alludes to "Sumpah Palapa" the oath taken by Gajah Mada, a 14th century Prime Minister of the Javanese Majapahit Empire described in the Pararaton...
. It was launched by Hughes Space and Communications Company for Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. Later Indonesia declared the satellite unusable after an electric power anomaly. The insurance claims were paid and the title was transferred to Hughes Space and Communications Company. HGS-3 was then acquired by Pakistan from M/s Hughes Global Services on "Full Time Leasing " and relocated to Pakistan's reserved slot at 38 Degree. After a series of orbital maneuvers, the Satellite was stabilized at the final location on 20 December 2002 with 0-degree inclination. The satellite is in position at the Pakistani-licensed orbital location, 38° east longitude. Paksat 1 is operational and is ready to offer services. The PAKSAT Satellite will be decommissioned from its services in the late of 2012.
PAKSAT-1R Communication Satellite Project
On 14 August 2011, PAKSAT-1R was launched by China using Long March 3BLong March 3B
The Long March 3B , also known as the Chang Zheng 3B, CZ-3B and LM-3B, is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. Introduced in 1996, it is launched from Launch Area 2 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre...
rocket. The 11,000 lb Satellite was built by China Academy of Space Technology
China Academy of Space Technology
The China Academy of Space Technology is an organizational unit of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation .CAST designs and manufactures Dong Fang Hong satellites.- External links :...
on DFH-4
Dong Fang Hong
Dong Fang Hong , meaning The East is Red, is a space satellite program for the People's Republic of China, which started in 1970. Satellites in this series were placed in either low Earth orbit or geostationary orbit and carried out a variety of purposes: testing, remote sensing,...
space platform. This satellite is to replace PAKSAT-1 which is to be decomissioned by end of 2011. The satellite will support all conventional and modern Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) applications including broadband, E-learning
E-learning
E-learning comprises all forms of electronically supported learning and teaching. The information and communication systems, whether networked learning or not, serve as specific media to implement the learning process...
, telemedicine
Telemedicine
Telemedicine is the use of telecommunication and information technologies in order to provide clinical health care at a distance. It helps eliminate distance barriers and can improve access to medical services that would often not be consistently available in distant rural communities...
, digital TV and emergency communications. PAKSAT-1R satellite will have a total of up to 30 transponders: 18 in Ku-band and 12 in C-band. To ensure high degree of reliability / availability of the system, two (02) fully redundant Satellite Ground Control Stations (SGCS) would be established in Karachi and Lahore, one to act as the Main and the other as Backup respectively.
Badr-B (Earth Observational Satellite)
In 1992 SUPARCO was given orders to develop its first Low-Earth observation satelliteEarth observation satellite
Earth observation satellites are satellites specifically designed to observe Earth from orbit, similar to reconnaissance satellites but intended for non-military uses such as environmental monitoring, meteorology, map making etc....
. The project manager was Abdul Majid (physicist)
Abdul Majid (physicist)
For other people with the same or similar name, see Abdul Majid Dr. Abdul Majid : is a Pakistani astrophysicist and scientist in the field of space technology. He is a former chairman of Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission from 1997 to 1999. He had made significant contributions to...
. According to the program, the satellite was to launch on June 1996. However, when SUPARCO faced severe global sanctions, the program was put on hold. SUPARCO, however, secretly continued to develop its satellite. The project was completed in 1996. The satellite was planned to launch from the Sonmiani Satellite Launch Center
Sonmiani
Sonmiani is a coastal town in the southeast of Balochistan province in Pakistan, approximately 145 kilometres northwest of Karachi. The coast of Sonmiani is the northernmost point of the Arabian Sea. The town also serves as a Union Council of Hub Tehsil. Sonmiani is noted for its space research...
. But it was postponed. On 10 December 2001 at 17:19 hours UT
Universal Time
Universal Time is a time scale based on the rotation of the Earth. It is a modern continuation of Greenwich Mean Time , i.e., the mean solar time on the Prime Meridian at Greenwich, and GMT is sometimes used loosely as a synonym for UTC...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
launched its second satellite, Badr-B
Badr-B
Badr-B The Badr-B payload was equipped with several CCD cameras, compact dosimeter, a telemetry system, charge detector and a temperature control unit...
, an Earth observation satellite
Earth observation satellite
Earth observation satellites are satellites specifically designed to observe Earth from orbit, similar to reconnaissance satellites but intended for non-military uses such as environmental monitoring, meteorology, map making etc....
from Baikonur Cosmodrome
Baikonur Cosmodrome
The Baikonur Cosmodrome , also called Tyuratam, is the world's first and largest operational space launch facility. It is located in the desert steppe of Kazakhstan, about east of the Aral Sea, north of the Syr Darya river, near Tyuratam railway station, at 90 meters above sea level...
, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
aboard a Russian Zenit-2
Zenit-2
The Zenit-2 is a Ukrainian, previously Soviet, expendable carrier rocket. First flown in 1985, it has been launched 37 times, with six failures. It is a member of the Zenit family of rockets, and was designed by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau. A modified version, the Zenit-2S, is used as the first two...
rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. According to the Government of Pakistan, SUPARCO has upgraded the Badr-B Low Earth Observational Satellite. According to the Interior Ministry of Pakistan, the Satellite is being using to monitored Pakistan's western border.
Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite System (PRSSS)
After successful launching and operation of BADRBadr (satellite)
Badr satellite program is the series of the robotic of spacecraft missions of Pakistan. It is the name of Pakistani robotic telecommunication and low Earth observatory satellites family. The first of satellites, Badr-1, was launched on July 1990....
series of experimental Low Earth Observational
Low Earth orbit
A low Earth orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km...
satellites (BADR-1 and BADR-B) in the 1990s and early 2000s, SUPARCO now plans to launch high-resolution Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite
Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite
The Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite , commercially known as Remote Sensing Satellite System is an dual purpose Earth observational and optical satellite which is schedule to launch by the end year of 2011 for the replacement of Badr-II satellite. The satellite is being manufacture indigenously...
(PRSSS) to meet the national and international user requirements in the field of satellite imagery.
A feasibility and system definition study was concluded in January 2007 which recommended the launch of a constellation of optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar
Synthetic aperture radar
Synthetic-aperture radar is a form of radar whose defining characteristic is its use of relative motion between an antenna and its target region to provide distinctive long-term coherent-signal variations that are exploited to obtain finer spatial resolution than is possible with conventional...
(SAR) satellites to ensure that the domestic and international user requirements are competitively met. In this respect the RFP for RSSS consultancy services was launched in July 2007. Launch of RFP for the manufacturing of the satellite is planned in the third quarter of year 2008.
PRSS is planned to be a progressive and sustainable program. Initially, SUPARCO plans to launch an optical satellite with payload of 2.5-meter PAN in 700 km sun-synchronous orbit by the end of year 2011, which will be followed by a series of optical and SAR satellites in the future. Necessary infrastructure for ground control and image reception and processing is also planned to be set up. The satellite is underdevelopment process and it is being developed by SUPARCO. However, it is unclear whether the satellite will launch from Pakistan's satellite launchers or Chinese satellite launchers.
Planetary Sciences and Astronomy
A number of institutions in Pakistan are engaged in educational/observational astronomy. Karachi University's Institute of Space and Planetary Astrophysics has one and powerful telescope/Astronomical observatory which is used by SUPARCO. SUPARCO's Institute of Space technology has also one Astronomical observatory which was built and constructed by the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Research facilities
| Facility | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Institute of Space Technology Institute of Space Technology The Institute of Space Technology , is located in Islamabad, Pakistan. It produces scientists and engineers in the field of space technology... |
Islamabad Islamabad Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011... |
a research and development facility. The IST was established and founded by the government of United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... . Institute of Space Technology Institute of Space Technology The Institute of Space Technology , is located in Islamabad, Pakistan. It produces scientists and engineers in the field of space technology... offers degree programs in Aerospace Engineering, Communication systems engineering and Material Science and Engineering |
| SUPARCO Institute Of Technical Training(SITT) | Karachi Karachi Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million... |
a teaching and technical training facility. SUPARCO Institute Of Technical Training(SITT) offers diploma programs in Mechanical and Electronics Technology. |
| Institute of Space and Planetary Astrophysics Institute of Space and Planetary Astrophysics The Institute of Space and Planetary Astrophysics, also known as by its abbreviation ISPA, is a premier and national research institute of Pakistan for the study of and research into topics pertaining to astronomy, mathematics, theoretical, particle and astrophysics and related subjects, controlled... (ISPA) |
Karachi University | ISPA is the nations leading and one of the oldest astronomical facility that was built and constructed by the United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... . The ISPA is responsible for space and planetary science research. A number of foreign scientists have used and research the ISPA facility where they published numerous articles in the field of space sciences. The ISPA has also a powerful telescope and astronomical observatory which was last provided by the United States Government in late 1950s. |
| Department of Space Science | University of Punjab | The facility carries out a wide variety of research programs in the field of solar physics Solar physics For the physics journal, see Solar Physics Solar physics is the study of our Sun. It is a branch of astrophysics that specializes in exploiting and explaining the detailed measurements that are possible only for our closest star... , plasma physics, astrophysics Astrophysics Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior... , remote sensing Remote sensing Remote sensing is the acquisition of information about an object or phenomenon, without making physical contact with the object. In modern usage, the term generally refers to the use of aerial sensor technologies to detect and classify objects on Earth by means of propagated signals Remote sensing... and planetary science Planetary science Planetary science is the scientific study of planets , moons, and planetary systems, in particular those of the Solar System and the processes that form them. It studies objects ranging in size from micrometeoroids to gas giants, aiming to determine their composition, dynamics, formation,... s. The Department of Space Science has a small space observatory Space observatory A space observatory is any instrument in outer space which is used for observation of distant planets, galaxies, and other outer space objects... . It is the oldest space observatory in the country Country A country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously... and has remained a center of learning for more than 75 years. |
Revitalisation and Research Program of SUPARCO
In 2005, then-PresidentPresident of Pakistan
The President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...
Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...
outlined his vision for SUPARCO by laying down a clearly defined agenda for the national space agency to pursue and deliver in minimum time. Musharraf had made it clear that:
.
In his [Musharraf] book, In the Line of Fire: A Memoir, Musharraf has expressed his desired that "SUPARCO has suffered severe economic and global sanctions but in future Pakistan will send its satellites from its soil". Revitalization, restructuring, reorientation and modernization of SUPARCO are the main objectives outlined by President Musharraf. SUPARCO is to be brought at par with other strategic organizations around the world. Specific objectives include research and development of communication satellites, Remote sensing
Remote sensing
Remote sensing is the acquisition of information about an object or phenomenon, without making physical contact with the object. In modern usage, the term generally refers to the use of aerial sensor technologies to detect and classify objects on Earth by means of propagated signals Remote sensing...
satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
s and satellite launch vehicle
Satellite Launch Vehicle
The Indian Satellite Launch Vehicle or SLV was a project started in the early 1970s by Indian Space Research Organisation to develop the technology needed to launch satellites. The project was headed by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. SLV was intended to reach a height of 400 km and carry a payload of...
s, with the objective of bringing rapid growth and socio-economic development in the fields of education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
, Cosmology
Cosmology
Cosmology is the discipline that deals with the nature of the Universe as a whole. Cosmologists seek to understand the origin, evolution, structure, and ultimate fate of the Universe at large, as well as the natural laws that keep it in order...
, Exobiology, Stellar science, Planetary science
Planetary science
Planetary science is the scientific study of planets , moons, and planetary systems, in particular those of the Solar System and the processes that form them. It studies objects ranging in size from micrometeoroids to gas giants, aiming to determine their composition, dynamics, formation,...
, Planets, Extrasolar Planet
Extrasolar planet
An extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, is a planet outside the Solar System. A total of such planets have been identified as of . It is now known that a substantial fraction of stars have planets, including perhaps half of all Sun-like stars...
, Dwarf Planets, Comets, Asteroids, astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
, astrobiology
Astrobiology
Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. This interdisciplinary field encompasses the search for habitable environments in our Solar System and habitable planets outside our Solar System, the search for evidence of prebiotic chemistry,...
, astrochemistry
Astrochemistry
Astrochemistry is the study of the abundance and reactions of chemical elements and molecules in the universe, and their interaction with radiation. The discipline is an overlap of astronomy and chemistry. The word "astrochemistry" may be applied to both the Solar System and the interstellar medium...
, aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...
, rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
propellent engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, information technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
, communication
Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
s, agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
sector, mineral excavation and atmospheric sciences.
- Development of state policy concepts in the sphere of research and peaceful uses of space, as well as in the interests of national securityNational securityNational security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
- Organization and development of space activities in Pakistan and under its jurisdiction abroad
- Contributing to state national security and defence capability
- Organization and development of Pakistan's cooperation with other states and international space organizations
Specific programs and missions
- Scientific space researchSpace researchSpace research is scientific studies carried out using scientific equipment in outer space. It includes the use of space technology for a broad spectrum of research disciplines, including Earth science, materials science, biology, medicine, and physics...
- Remote sensingRemote sensingRemote sensing is the acquisition of information about an object or phenomenon, without making physical contact with the object. In modern usage, the term generally refers to the use of aerial sensor technologies to detect and classify objects on Earth by means of propagated signals Remote sensing...
of EarthEarthEarth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets... - Satellite telecommunication systems
- Geographic Information SystemGeographic Information SystemA geographic information system, geographical information science, or geospatial information studies is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of geographically referenced data...
- Natural ResourceNatural resourceNatural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity existent in various ecosystems....
SurveyingSurveyingSee Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them... - Environmental monitoring
- Acquisition of data for atmospheric/meteorological studies
- Development of the ground-based infrastructure for navigation and special information system
- Space activities in the interests of national security and defense
- Development of research, test and production base of the space sector
Administrators of SUPARCO
| Number | Name | Term Started | Term Ended | Alma Mater Alma mater Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:... |
Field | Educational Background |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abdus Salam Abdus Salam Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk (Urdu: محمد عبد السلام, pronounced , (January 29, 1926– November 21, 1996) was a Pakistani theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate in Physics for his work on the electroweak unification of the... |
1961 | 1967 | Imperial College | Theoretical Physics Theoretical physics Theoretical physics is a branch of physics which employs mathematical models and abstractions of physics to rationalize, explain and predict natural phenomena... |
Doctor of Philosophy Doctor of Philosophy Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities... (Ph.D) |
| 2 | Air Commodore Air Commodore Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force... Władysław Turowicz Władysław Turowicz Air Commodore Władysław Józef Marian Turowicz, SP , SK , TP , SQA [MI], SI [MI], usually referred to as Air Cdre. W. J. M. Turowicz, was a prominent and noted Polish Pakistani military scientist and an aeronautical engineer. He is considered as one of the chief architects of the Pakistan Air Force... |
1967 | 1979 | Warsaw University of Technology Warsaw University of Technology The Warsaw University of Technology is one of the leading institutes of technology in Poland, and one of the largest in Central Europe. It employs 2,453 teaching faculty, with 357 professors . The student body numbers 36,156 , mostly full-time. There are 17 faculties covering almost all fields of... |
Aeronautical Engineering | Ph.D |
| 3 | Air Commodore Air Commodore Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force... K. M. Ahmad |
1979 | 1980 | Pakistan Air Force Academy Pakistan Air Force Academy "RAF Risalpur", "Risalpur Airbase/Airfield" & "Pakistan Air Force/PAF Base Risalpur" redirects here.The Pakistan Air Force Academy also known as PAFA, is an accredited co-educational four-year college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the Pakistan Air Force... |
Flight Instructor Flight instructor A flight instructor is a person who teaches others to fly aircraft. Specific privileges granted to holders of a flight instructor qualification vary from country to country, but very generally, a flight instructor serves to enhance or evaluate the knowledge and skill level of an aviator in pursuit... |
Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI) |
| 4 | Salim Mehmud Salim Mehmud Dr. Salim Mehmud, also known as Salim Mehmood, is a Pakistani rocket scientist and a nuclear engineer. He is the former chaiman of Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission . He has served as chief scientist at the Defence Science and Technology Organization... |
1980 | 1989 | Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education is a U.S. Department of Energy institute headquartered in Oak Ridge, Tennessee focusing on scientific initiatives to research health risks from occupational hazards, assess environmental cleanup, respond to radiation medical emergencies, support... and Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a multiprogram science and technology national laboratory managed for the United States Department of Energy by UT-Battelle. ORNL is the DOE's largest science and energy laboratory. ORNL is located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, near Knoxville... |
Nuclear Engineering Nuclear engineering Nuclear engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the application of the breakdown as well as the fusion of atomic nuclei and/or the application of other sub-atomic physics, based on the principles of nuclear physics... |
Ph.D |
| 5 | M. Shafi Ahmad | 1989 | 1990 | University of London University of London -20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the... |
Astronomy Astronomy Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth... |
Ph.D |
| 6 | Sikandar Zaman | 1990 | 1997 | University of Leeds University of Leeds The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England... |
Mechanical Engineering Mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the... |
Bachelor of Science Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on... (B.S.) |
| 7 | Abdul Majid Abdul Majid (physicist) For other people with the same or similar name, see Abdul Majid Dr. Abdul Majid : is a Pakistani astrophysicist and scientist in the field of space technology. He is a former chairman of Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission from 1997 to 1999. He had made significant contributions to... |
1997 | 2001 | University of Wales University of Wales The University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was... |
Astrophysics Astrophysics Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior... |
Ph.D |
| 8 | Major General Major General Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general... Raza Hussain |
2001 | 2010 | Pakistan Army Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers | Electrical Engineering Electrical engineering Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical... |
B.S. |
| 9 | Major General Major General Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general... Ahmed Bilal |
2010 | Present | Pakistan Army Corps of Signals Engineering | Computer Engineering Computer engineering Computer engineering, also called computer systems engineering, is a discipline that integrates several fields of electrical engineering and computer science required to develop computer systems. Computer engineers usually have training in electronic engineering, software design, and... |
Master of Science Master of Science A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:... (M.S) |
China
In August 2006, ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
committed to work with Pakistan to launch three Earth-resource satellites over the next five years. In May 2007, China (as a strategic partner) agreed and signed an accord with Pakistan to enhance cooperation in the areas of space science and technology. Pakistan-China bilateral cooperation in the space industry
Space industry
Space industry refers to economic activities related to manufacturing components that go into Earth's orbit or beyond, delivering them to those regions, and related services. Owing to the prominence of the satellite-related activities, some sources use the term satellite industry interchangeably...
could span a broad spectrum, including climate science, clean energy technologies, atmospheric and earth science
Earth science
Earth science is an all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet Earth. It is arguably a special case in planetary science, the Earth being the only known life-bearing planet. There are both reductionist and holistic approaches to Earth sciences...
s, and marine sciences. On the occasion of Chinese launch of PAKSAT-1R in China, Pakistan's ambassador to China expressed the natural desire of Pakistani nation for China to send a Pakistani astronaut to space aboard a Chinese spacecraft.
Turkey
In December 2006, Turkey has showed interest to join Pakistan's space program. Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan signed the Memorandum of understandingMemorandum of understanding
A memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action. It is often used in cases where parties either do not imply a legal commitment or in...
(MOU
MOU
MOU, MoU, Mou or mou may refer to:* Memorandum of understanding* Minutes of Use, in telecommunication operations* Ministry of Unification, a branch of the South Korean government.* The Museum of Osaka University...
). Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey and Turkish Aerospace Industries
Turkish Aerospace Industries
Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. is the center of technology in design, development, manufacturing, integration of aerospace systems, modernization and after sales support in Turkey....
's representative signed an accord with SUPARCO to enhance the cooperation in the satellite development program.
- Pakistan is also a member of the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation OrganizationAsia-Pacific Space Cooperation OrganizationThe Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization is an inter-governmental organization operated as a non-profit independent body with full international legal status...
(APSCO). SUPARCO and the Department of Space have signed formal Memorandum of Understanding agreements with a number of foreign political entities:
See also
- Chronology of Pakistan's rocket testsChronology of Pakistan's rocket testsThese are tables showing all the tests of rockets that have been carried out in Pakistan since the early 1960s. Note that at the bottom of the list, some of the recent ballistic missile tests have also been mentioned.-June 7, 1962 - April 28, 1972:...
- Pakistan Atomic Energy CommissionPakistan Atomic Energy CommissionThe Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, , is an administrative governmental and autonomous science and technology governmental department of Pakistan, responsible for development of nuclear energy and development of nuclear power sector in Pakistan...
- Pakistan Meteorological DepartmentPakistan Meteorological DepartmentThe Pakistan Meteorological Department, also known as Pak Met Office, is a Government of Pakistan organization which works under the Ministry of Defence...
- List Of Space Agencies
- Asian Space RaceAsian space raceSeveral Asian countries have national space programs, and they are considered to be competing with each other to achieve scientific and technological advancements in space. The media has occasionally called this competition the Asian space race. The exploration of Outer space is of strategic...
- Institute of Space TechnologyInstitute of Space TechnologyThe Institute of Space Technology , is located in Islamabad, Pakistan. It produces scientists and engineers in the field of space technology...
- Abdus SalamAbdus SalamMohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk (Urdu: محمد عبد السلام, pronounced , (January 29, 1926– November 21, 1996) was a Pakistani theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate in Physics for his work on the electroweak unification of the...
- Abdul Majid (physicist)Abdul Majid (physicist)For other people with the same or similar name, see Abdul Majid Dr. Abdul Majid : is a Pakistani astrophysicist and scientist in the field of space technology. He is a former chairman of Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission from 1997 to 1999. He had made significant contributions to...
- Pakistan Student Satellite Program