Pakistan looking forward to send
first lunar rover by 2028
Pakistan has officially begun
preparations to send its first robotic rover to the Moon by 2028, marking a
historic step in the nation’s growing space ambitions.
According to Dr. Adnan Aslam,
General Manager at the Pakistan Space and
Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), the country is actively
developing a lunar rover as part of its broader space exploration program. The
project aims for completion before 2028.
Dr. Aslam also hinted at long-term
plans to send a Pakistani astronaut to the Moon, though further details remain
undisclosed.
Read More SUPARCO
announces contest to name Pakistan’s first lunar mission
SUPARCO first announced its lunar mission plans in February 2025, alongside the launch of a nationwide competition to name the rover. The Pakistani-built rover, weighing around 35 kilograms, will join China’s Chang’e-8 mission and land near the Moon’s south pole. The mission will launch from China’s Wenchang Space Center, and if successful, Pakistan will become the sixth country in the world to land a rover on the lunar surface.
During the mission, the rover will study
the Moon’s south polar region and conduct scientific and geological experiments.
This milestone follows Pakistan’s
growing record in space technology. On October 19, 2025, SUPARCO, in
collaboration with China, successfully launched its first hyperspectral
satellite (HS-1) — a major achievement under the National
Space Policy and Vision 2047.
Read More SUPARCO
joins China for Chang’e-8 Lunar Mission in 2028
The HS-1 satellite is expected to revolutionize infrastructure mapping, urban planning, agriculture management, and environmental monitoring. It will also aid in forecasting floods, landslides, and other natural disasters through enhanced real-time data analysis.
With EO-1 and KS-1 satellites
already in orbit, the lunar rover project marks another major leap forward for
Pakistan’s rapidly expanding space exploration program.
Source: Minute Mirror