Pakistan officially unveiled plans to launch its inaugural lunar mission by 2035 at an ambitious high-level meeting held in Beijing by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, marking an ambitious new chapter in their national space ambitions. He stated that SUPARCO (Pakistan’s national space agency) has been given formal instructions from government to lead this endeavor under their Uraan Pakistan initiative. With Geo News being one of our core news providers this story covers both sides of the ocean.
China Steers Partnership
Iqbal made his announcement during a bilateral meeting with Shan Zhongde, Chairman of China’s Atomic Energy Authority and Space Agency. Iqbal expressed gratitude for China’s continued support, noting that Beijing pledged full cooperation for Pakistan’s space and nuclear research programs. For more on this story visit Radio Pakistan + Geo News on X (formerly Twitter) +8.
He highlighted recent satellite launches conducted with Chinese assistance as well as Pakistan’s planned astronaut mission to China’s space station in 2026. Wikipedia +15
The News International +15
Geo News.
From Earth to Moon: Pakistan’s Space Track Record
Pakistan has made remarkable strides in space since SUPARCO was established in the 1960s, with three satellite launches alongside China (PakTES-1A and PRSC-EO1) successfully carrying out remote sensing capabilities that deepen technological collaboration and Earth observation capabilities. (Sources: TechJuice +1 and Wikipedia.)
Pakistan’s ICUBE-Qamar CubeSat entered lunar orbit aboard China’s Chang’e-6 mission in May 2024 for its debut into deep space operations, making TechJuice, Wikipedia and NDTv all the better sources.
Aligning With Chang’e-8 and ILRS
Pakistan is contributing a 35-kg lunar rover to China’s Chang’e-8 mission scheduled to launch in 2028 as part of the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) program – an ongoing China-Russia effort to establish a lunar base by 2035 – officially joining it mid-2023 (Wikipedia +4 as source). Whilst independent plans may differ slightly between nations, Pakistan joined ILRS officially between 2026-2035 (Wikipedia +4 sources) to the program (ILRS +4; Wikipedia +4 as source). WWTv +4 WHY
Space Diplomacy and Strategic Stakes Pakistan’s lunar initiative marks an unmistakable sign of strategic intent. Launched under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Uraan Pakistan seeks to promote national science, technology and education goals linked with wider economic goals. The Tribune +3 News International +3 AND SUCH TV +3 have all covered it extensively over time.
Pakistan has taken steps to strengthen its standing within international space frameworks such as APSCO and ILRS, through these moves. TechJuice highlighted this news story.
Officials emphasize that this goal is more than merely symbolic; they aim to foster domestic STEM development, engage youth in frontier research projects, and place Pakistan within a trillion-dollar global space economy by 2040. WATCH | TechJuice / Wired
However, Pakistan still faces serious obstacles on its journey to the Moon. Pakistan’s annual space budget remains relatively modest compared to that of India or major global space agencies like NASA or ESA, and SUPARCO has faced significant difficulties securing funding, technological autonomy, and sustained scientific leadership over its history. Geo News +7 The Tribune +7 TechJuice +7
Dependence on Chinese technology–while instrumental–raised questions of capacity and long-term institutional resilience.
Technical challenges facing Pakistan in space exploration include designing a spacecraft capable of landing, mastering precision lunar navigation and maintaining systems under harsh lunar conditions, while Pakistan lacks domestic launch capabilities relying instead on Chinese rockets and infrastructure for launch operations. The Tribune highlighted these as some potential technical difficulties to consider during spacecraft development efforts in Pakistan.
Looking Ahead
Pakistan’s moon mission could become a historical achievement: becoming only the second Muslim-majority country to land on the Moon and expanding its role in global space governance. Partnering with China as well as joining ILRS provides Islamabad with alternative approaches to Western-led lunar exploration frameworks.
By 2035, Pakistan plans to achieve an enduring scientific milestone: landing on the Moon. Achieved depends upon international partnerships, funding continuity, technological capacity-building efforts and SUPARCO’s institutional framework – but Pakistan’s Lunar vision speaks of ambition, alliance and charting new paths through space exploration.