Pakistan’s Space Program

Abstract

Despite political, technological, and economic constraints, Pakistan is considered an aspiring space power with a relatively modest space program compared to the larger, more successful ones of China and India. Innovative leadership, smart allocation of national resources, and political will are all necessary for any country to progress in such a high-technology field. Pakistan can utilize available resources to improve its nascent space infrastructure through collaborative efforts to gain eventual self-sufficiency for socioeconomic and strategic purposes in the South Asian region. Since its inception, the space activities remained slow; however, there were substantial milestones achieved by Pakistan in space primarily for socioeconomic benefits. Likewise, Pakistan supports multilateral agreements to prevent the weaponization of space and has ratified all United Nations space treaties. Furthermore, multilateral collaboration, the utilization of available resources and public-private partnerships empowering its space program, enhances its domestic scientific and technological base and builds an indigenous space industry that can reap dividends at home and abroad. This can also benefit Pakistan’s needs to mainstream its national space program for the overall national growth of the country and meet future requirements.