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At a stage in history, when Pakistan is struggling to keep its mainland intact and easily traversable for its general population, talk of space exploration might seem a bit farfetched.
The law and order problem created by terrorist insurgencies has severely damaged tourist activity in remote areas of the country. One might argue that prudence demands to first look into theseimmediate problems at home and aspire for higher aims like space exploration later.
However, in this era of hyper globalisation with increasing technological capture of almost all aspects of life, one cannot simply afford to look the other way when the world is slowly preparing to break the shacklesof gravity and move out of this planet.
I often wonder if people threw out the same criticisms at thoseexplorers who dared to sail on wooden ships to discover the new world.
Will there be a Pakistani space age?
The Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) is Pakistans national space agency.
Pakistans only Nobel laureate, Dr Abdus Salam, conceived the idea of the countrys first space research program and the national space agency was set up in 1961. It was granted the status of a Commission in 1981.
Its main task is to conduct research in space science, space technology, and develop its peaceful application for the country. It aims to promote space applications for the socio-economic uplift of the country.
On 16 July 1990, Pakistan launched its first experimental satellite BADR-1. It was Pakistans first indigenously developed satellite and was launched from the Xichang Launch Centre, China. The satellite successfully completed its designed life.
SUPARCO launched the second experimental satellite BADR-B on December 10, 2001. It was an Earth Observation Satellite and was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. The satellite was designed by Space Innovations Limited from the UK.
Originally manufactured by Boeing and launched on February 1, 1996, Paksat 1 was Pakistans first geostationary satellite. Paksat-1R replaced Paksat-1on August 11, 2011.
This satellite has a designated life of 15 years, with initial targets to provide broadband internet, digital television, remote and rural telephony, emergency communications, tele-education and tele-medicine services across South and Central Asia, Eastern Europe, East Africa and the Far East.
SUPARCO, in collaboration with JPMC, has established a satellite communication-based telemedicine network as a pilotproject.
Two sites have been connected through Paksat-1R satellite transponder, one at Jinnah PostGraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), with Karachi as the hub and another at Shikarpur civil hospital (interior Sindh) as a remote site. Specialists at JPMC can do live video conferencing with patients in Shikarpur, thusproviding specialist health care services in rural areas.
Conclusion
Space science is not just about satellites and rockets; it pledgesto satisfy human curiosity by answering questions about the deep mysteries of the Universe.It also helps in shaping modern lifestyle by producing helpful applications for all walks of life.
While policy makers in Pakistanfocus on the development of natural sciences and engineering education in the country, they should not ignorespace sciences, which can provequite beneficial in a countrys socio-economic uplift.
Space exploration and Pakistan: The significance of space technology | DAWN.COM
Its a bit long article but i felt first half part of the article hasn't much to do with pakistan so i only posted latter half part
The law and order problem created by terrorist insurgencies has severely damaged tourist activity in remote areas of the country. One might argue that prudence demands to first look into theseimmediate problems at home and aspire for higher aims like space exploration later.
However, in this era of hyper globalisation with increasing technological capture of almost all aspects of life, one cannot simply afford to look the other way when the world is slowly preparing to break the shacklesof gravity and move out of this planet.
I often wonder if people threw out the same criticisms at thoseexplorers who dared to sail on wooden ships to discover the new world.
Will there be a Pakistani space age?
The Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) is Pakistans national space agency.
Pakistans only Nobel laureate, Dr Abdus Salam, conceived the idea of the countrys first space research program and the national space agency was set up in 1961. It was granted the status of a Commission in 1981.
Its main task is to conduct research in space science, space technology, and develop its peaceful application for the country. It aims to promote space applications for the socio-economic uplift of the country.
On 16 July 1990, Pakistan launched its first experimental satellite BADR-1. It was Pakistans first indigenously developed satellite and was launched from the Xichang Launch Centre, China. The satellite successfully completed its designed life.
SUPARCO launched the second experimental satellite BADR-B on December 10, 2001. It was an Earth Observation Satellite and was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. The satellite was designed by Space Innovations Limited from the UK.
Originally manufactured by Boeing and launched on February 1, 1996, Paksat 1 was Pakistans first geostationary satellite. Paksat-1R replaced Paksat-1on August 11, 2011.
This satellite has a designated life of 15 years, with initial targets to provide broadband internet, digital television, remote and rural telephony, emergency communications, tele-education and tele-medicine services across South and Central Asia, Eastern Europe, East Africa and the Far East.
SUPARCO, in collaboration with JPMC, has established a satellite communication-based telemedicine network as a pilotproject.
Two sites have been connected through Paksat-1R satellite transponder, one at Jinnah PostGraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), with Karachi as the hub and another at Shikarpur civil hospital (interior Sindh) as a remote site. Specialists at JPMC can do live video conferencing with patients in Shikarpur, thusproviding specialist health care services in rural areas.
Conclusion
Space science is not just about satellites and rockets; it pledgesto satisfy human curiosity by answering questions about the deep mysteries of the Universe.It also helps in shaping modern lifestyle by producing helpful applications for all walks of life.
While policy makers in Pakistanfocus on the development of natural sciences and engineering education in the country, they should not ignorespace sciences, which can provequite beneficial in a countrys socio-economic uplift.
Space exploration and Pakistan: The significance of space technology | DAWN.COM
Its a bit long article but i felt first half part of the article hasn't much to do with pakistan so i only posted latter half part
