The Pakistan Space Agency or Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) is the Pakistani government space agency responsible for Pakistan's space program. It was formed in September 1961 by order of President Ayub Khan on the advice of its founding director, Abdus Salam.[1] SUPARCO is an autonomous research and development organization under the Government of Pakistan. The headquarters of SUPARCO is located in Karachi. The agency also has offices in Lahore and at Karachi (an engineering installation).
Contents[hide] |
[edit] History
[edit] Rehbar I and II
On June 7, 1962 at 19:53 hours (PST) Rehbar-I was successfully launched from Sonmiani. 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 June 9, 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.[2]
[edit] 1980s and 1990s and Badr-1
During the 1980s and 1990s much of SUPARCO's funding had been cut and as a result Pakistan lagged behind in space technologies compared with other countries.[citation needed] In July 16 1990, Pakistan launched its first satellite, Badr-1, from China aboard a Long March rocket.
[edit] Badr Satellite Project
Pakistan launched Badr-1, Pakistan's first indigenously developed satellite, was launched in 1990 from China aboard a Long March rocket. The satellite successfully completed its designed life.
On December 10, 2001 at 17:19 hours UT, Pakistan launched its second satellite, Badr-B, from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan aboard a Russian Zenit-2 rocket, Russia. In 2005, President 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 Pakistan would need to catch up to the world space leaders and make up for lost time and neglect in the past and future.[citation needed]
[edit] Satellite Launch Vehicle Project
On March 2001, Dr. A. Q. Khan announced that Pakistani scientists were in the process of building the country's first Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV) and that the project had been assigned to SUPARCO, which also built the Badr satellites. Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan also cited the fact that India had made rapid strides in the fields of SLV and satellite manufacture as another motivation for developing an indigenous launch capabilities[3]. Dr. Abdul Majid, an astrophysicist and then-chairman of SUPARCO, confirmed dr. Khan's statement and said " Pakistan envision a low-cost SLV inroder to launch light-weight satellite into low-earth orbits. 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.
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 SLV programme. However, the status of SLV is remained unclear.
[edit] Revitalization of SUPARCO
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 satellites and satellite launch vehicles, 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, communications, agriculture sector, mineral excavation and atmospheric sciences.[4]
[edit] Functions
- Development of state policy concepts in the sphere of research and peaceful uses of space, as well as in the interests of national security
- Organization and development of space activities in Pakistan and under its jurisdiction abroad
- Contributing to state national security and defense capability
- Organization and development of Pakistan's cooperation with other states and international space organizations
[edit] Specific programs and missions
- Scientific space research
- Remote sensing of Earth
- Satellite telecommunication systems
- Geographic Information System
- Natural Resource Surveying
- 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
[edit] Pakistani spacecrafts
| Name | Launched | Retired | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rehbar I | June 7, 1961 | 1962 | Engineering Rocket |
| Rehbar II | June 9, 1962 | 1962 | Engineering Rocket |
| BADR I | January 1986 | 1987 | Experimental communications satellite |
| BADR B | December 10, 2001 | Still in use | Communication satellite |
| PAKSAT-1 (formerly Palapa C1) | December 20, 2002 | Still in use | Communication satellite |
| PAKSAT-IR | Being developed in China (expected to be launch in between 2009–2012) |
[edit] International Cooperation
[edit] China
In August 2006, China committed to work with Pakistan to launch three Earth-resource satellites over the next five years.[5] 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 sciences, and marine sciences.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
| ||
| |||
| ||
Personal tools
Toolbox
Languages
- This page was last modified on 6 July 2009 at 19:28.
- Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of Use for details.
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. - Privacy policy
- About Wikipedia
- Disclaimers
No comments:
Post a Comment