Pakistan looking towards greater participation in space activities
Pakistan aims to achieve a lunar landing by 2035 as part of an ambitious push to expand its space programme, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Sunday, highlighting cooperation with China as a key factor in advancing the country’s space exploration capabilities.
Speaking at the concluding ceremony of World Space Week 2026 in Narowal district of Punjab, Iqbal said Pakistan was working towards greater participation in international space missions and scientific research.
The minister also announced that Pakistan’s first astronaut was scheduled to embark on a space mission from a Chinese space centre on November 25. He did not provide further details about the astronaut or the mission in the reported remarks.
Iqbal said collaboration with China would help Pakistan make progress in space exploration and strengthen its technological capabilities, including its long-term ambition to reach the Moon within the next decade.
Space technology seen as key to national development
Emphasising the practical importance of space science, the minister said space-based technologies were increasingly essential to several sectors, including agriculture telecommunications, climate monitoring, education and national security.
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Satellite applications can support agricultural planning, improve communications, help monitor environmental changes and provide data for disaster preparedness. These capabilities make investment in space research relevant not only to scientific advancement but also to economic development and public services.
Pakistan’s lunar landing target represents a longer-term ambition that would require sustained investment in research, engineering, launch capabilities and international cooperation. Further details about the proposed mission’s technical design, funding and implementation schedule were not announced in the reported address.
China partnership and Pakistan’s space ambitions
Cooperation with China is expected to remain central to Pakistan’s efforts to develop its space programme. Such collaboration can provide opportunities for scientific exchanges, technical training and participation in space missions.
For Pakistan, the 2035 target would mark a significant step beyond its existing satellite and space research activities. Achieving a lunar landing, however, would require extensive preparation and the development or acquisition of complex spacecraft and mission systems.
World Space Week event focuses on young people
The 2026 World Space Week celebrations were held in Narowal for the first time in collaboration with the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), according to the report.
The event aimed to encourage young people to explore space science, scientific research and emerging technologies, while promoting greater awareness of opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
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Iqbal also highlighted the importance of access to higher education, saying that students who had previously faced financial obstacles were increasingly able to excel academically when given educational opportunities. The
minister’s remarks placed Pakistan’s lunar ambitions within a broader vision of scientific development, international cooperation and investment in the country’s future technical workforce.
Source: Daily Excelsior