SUPARCO
The Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, commonly referred to as SUPARCO, is the national space agency of Pakistan.
The agency, originally established in 1961 as a committee in Karachi, became an independent commission in 1981. Its initial objective was to study rocketry and high-altitude research from the United States, which eventually led to the development of a national satellite program. This culminated in the successful launch of Pakistan's first satellite from China in 1990. The agency was also an early participant in the rocket development program launched by the Ministry of Defence of Pakistan.
The agency leads the National Space Program and maintains the orbital operations of its satellites with support facilities throughout the country.
SUPARCO also serves as the secretariat for Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board which was established in February 2024 under the National Command Authority to regulate all space-related activities in Pakistan.
History
Creation
The past federal ministries of Pakistan initially avoided to fund the space program and engineering education in spite of opportunity available from the United States. The Punjab University was the only university that was undertaking the research in aeronautics in 1957; after the former Soviet Union launched its first satellite in space, the Sputnik 1.It was during the development of Apollo program in 1961 when Abdus Salam found an opportunity for Pakistan to start its space program with the foreign funding coming from the United States. As NASA launched the Apollo program in competition with the Soviet space program, it recognized the need for scientific data from the upper atmosphere and therefore invited India and Pakistan—two Indian Ocean–bordering states—to participate in related studies and experiments. Initially, the engineers from Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission learned rocketry at the Wallops Flight Facility as Abdus Salam worked on getting approval for establishing a commission from the Ayub administration.
A commission to study the upper atmosphere and rocketry was established under Abdus Salam and Ishrat Usmani as its chairman with nuclear engineers from PAEC, Tariq Mustafa and Salim Mehmud, becoming its first members in 1961 through the "Space Sciences Research Wing" of PAEC. The Commission was the first in the Muslim world to start studies in establishing a national space program, and was named as "Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission" to represent its purpose and mission on 16 September 1961.
The Commission working under Abdus Salam was tasked with learning the rocket engineering, and contribution from France and the United States helped start this mission. Foundation of the agency made Pakistan the first South Asian country to start a space program. Furthermore, a Flight Test Range was established in Sonmiani which is west of Karachi, from where a program of sounding rocket launches was conducted based on the Nike-Ajax rockets followed by the Judi-Dart program.
On 7 July 1962, the Commission launched the first rocket, known as "Rehbar-I", which reached the altitude of in space. The United States publicly supported and hailed the program as the beginning of "a program of continuous cooperation in space research of mutual interest." Until 1972, the United States provided training on rocket engines at the Goddard Space Flight Center. The ground stations for satellite navigation were set up by the Commission in Karachi and Lahore in 1973, and were visited by the Apollo 17 astronauts. In 1973, the Islamabad Ionospheric Station was established at the Quaid-e-Azam University and Landsat ground station was established near Lahore.
Funding and Support
Following the cessation of U.S. funding for upper atmosphere research in 1972 and the prioritization of nuclear weapons programs after the 1971 war with India, SUPARCO experienced a significant decline in funding and support. Engineers with backgrounds in nuclear engineering were transferred to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, and the Pakistan Air Force's support for the Rehbar program also ceased.Following India's launch of its first satellite Aryabhata on a Soviet Kosmos-3M rocket in 1975, SUPARCO began lobbying for Pakistan's own satellite program. In 1981, the Commission was reorganized as an independent federal agency. During the same period, a communication satellite project called PakSAT was initiated. Collaborations with the Pakistan Radio Society and the University of Surrey in England enabled SUPARCO to participate in satellite engineering projects, contributing to the development of UoSAT-1 and UO-11, which were launched in 1984.
Pakistan's communication satellite program also led to the expansion of a ground station in Lahore in 1983. SUPARCO began constructing its first satellite, Badr-1, in 1983, and it was eventually launched by China in 1990 after negotiations with the United States failed.
SUPARCO continued its collaboration with the United Kingdom, developing the Badr-B satellite in partnership with the British Rutherford Laboratory. However, due to orbital crises and funding constraints, Badr-B was not launched until 2001 by Russia.
Gen Zia's decision to delay the PakSAT project in 1984, citing a lack of funds, led to a significant setback for SUPARCO. This ultimately resulted in the loss of two orbital slots in 1993 and 1994. To secure a priority slot, the agency negotiated with Hughes Satellite Systems to acquire PakSAT-1, a geo-stationary satellite originally intended for Indonesia.
Functions
As per the National Space Policy of Pakistan approved in 2024, SUPARCO as the National Space Agency is mandated to carry out all activities related to outer space which includes but not limited to the following:- Policy Development: Formulate national space policies and legislation to comply with international obligations and establish guidelines for the space sector.
- Program Management: Plan, manage, and execute the National Space Program, encompassing space science, technology, and applications.
- Space Infrastructure: Design, develop, launch, and operate satellites, ground control infrastructure, space transportation systems, launch facilities, navigation systems, and tracking observatories.
- National Register: Maintain a register of space objects launched by Pakistan and submit information to the United Nations.
- Commercialization: Promote the commercial exploitation of space capabilities, technologies, and applications.
- Private Sector Engagement: Encourage private sector involvement in space activities.
- International Cooperation: Coordinate with international space organizations and agencies, and represent Pakistan in relevant forums.
Programs
Satellite Programs
Badr
PakSAT
The PakSAT program is the national communication satellites program of the commission conceived in 1979–80. The program is envisioned to consist of two geostationary communication satellites – one operating in 38°E orbit and other at 41°E, respectively.The PakSAT program was originally designed to develop the television receive-only terminals for the receptions of news, entertainment, and educational channels from direct broadcasting satellite dishes.
| Satellite | Mass and weight | Satellite by type | Launch agency | Launch site | Status | Launch date | Remarks and notes |
| PakSAT-1E | GEO | Hughes | Cape Canaveral in United States | Inactive | Built and owned by the Boeing. | ||
| PakSAT-1R | GEO | CASC | Xichang | Active | Built and manufactured by China with Chinese funding | ||
| PakSAT-MM1 | GEO | Hughes | Cape Canaveral | Inactive | Built and manufactured by Boeing | ||
| PakSAT-MM1R | GEO | CASC | Xichang | Active | 30 May 2024 | Built by CASC |
Remote Sensing Satellites
CubeSats
Rocket Programs
Sounding Rockets
Since 1961, the commission supported and led the early studies on solid-propellant rockets, which it succeeded in developing the Rehbar-I. The Rehbar-I rocket was a derivative based on the U.S. Nike-Cajun, and continued its service until 1972.Hatf-I & Abdali
In 1987, the military funded the commission's design study on rocket engines for Hatf-I, which was completed with the Khan Research Laboratories, the national defense laboratory of the Ministry of Defence. In 1995, the Commission designed the rocket engine for the Abdali project, which was completed in 2004.The Commission also conducted studies on rocket engines for the Shaheen program.
Space Science and Astronomy
Every year, SUPARCO sponsors and organizes the World Space Week to promote the understanding of the Earth science all over the country. SUPARCO works with a number of universities and research institutions to engage in research in observational astronomy and astrophysics. The Institute of Space and Planetary Astrophysics of the Karachi University conducts key research and co-sponsors with international level research programs in astrophysics, with joint ventures of SUPARCO.SUPARCO operates a national balloon launching facility in Karachi to conduct studies in atmospheric sciences to determine the vertical profile of ozone up to 30–35 km. This balloon sounding facility has been extensively used for carrying out research in better understanding of the meteorology and how the ozone layer vary seasonally in the stratosphere and troposphere. The Ionospheric Station at Karachi operates a Lonosonde observation facility, and recently the balloon flight mission was carried out by the station on 16 January 2004, up to an altitude of about 36 km to measure the vertical profile of the O3 trends. The maximum O3 observed 12.65 mPa at 27 km. One of the most notable mission of SUPARCO is its Lunar program that conducts observational studies on the activity of Lunar phases and distributes its publications within the public domain.
The SUPARCO Astrophysics program, is an active scientific mission of SUPARCO, dedicated for the development of space science. The program's mainstream objective and aim is to conduct research studies for the advancement and better understanding of the theoretical physics, astronomy, astrophysics, and mathematics involving the three-dimensional universal space and time.
SUPARCO's Space Program 2040, launched in 2012, incorporates astronomy and astrophysics research into a single program focused on theoretical and observational studies. This program explores vast topics like quantum mechanics, deep space objects, dark matter and energy, supernovae, nebulae, and galaxies. Aligned with Pakistan's official space policy, it also aims to strengthen public understanding of physics and mathematics through educational initiatives like academic bulletins and public events celebrating astronomy milestones. This program fosters collaboration with international space agencies and builds upon public interest sparked by SUPARCO's celebration of the International Year of Astronomy in 2009 which was widely appreciated by the public.
Since its establishment, a total of nine important publications has been released under the auspicious of this program with the last volume was issued in September 2012.