Pakistan in space

The space week is almost at an end and we all sit waiting eagerly to see what the Hubble has to show us next.We might think Star Wars is fiction but in reality it is not too far from the truth. Space and technology have always held an overwhelming sway over the imaginations of this planets residents and has manifested its prowess over the centuries. Long ago heliocentric models constructed by rudimentary instruments led to an age of enlightenment. In the recent history it was the space race that determined the fate of the cold war.

It was 50 years ago when a Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin left the thresholds of our planet. Since then many developed countries have joined the space race and are spending tremendous amounts to keep up the competition.

Pakistan however is a unique exception. A developing country burdened with abject poverty and loans but soaring hopes and sky high dreams. In 1998 against all odds it became a nuclear state and now it is vying to become an active member of the space age. The Pakistani government is spending a whopping $82 million on its National Space Program. The primary Pakistani space agency SUPARCO has the goals of launching Pakistani satellites from Pakistani rockets into space. So far 3 satellites have been launched by Pakistan with foreign rockets. The first satellite Badr-1 was launched and has successfully completed its life. Paksat-1 the second satellite developed malfunctions soon after its launch and it has been decommissioned now. It will now be replaced by Paksat-1R. The third satellite Badr-B’s existence is suspect primarily because it could possibly be used for spying purposes.  Presently Pakistan is in the process of developing its own low cost Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV). Further there are plans to co-operate with the Chinese space program and send a Pakistani man abroad.

It could be argued that a poor country like Pakistan should not be wasting funds on far fetched ideas like space technology. However by developing indigenous technology countries reap the fringe benefits of developing a host of other technologies and industry. The impact on the morale of people is also marvelous and serves to boost national pride and the status of Pakistan in the world as a muslim leader on all cutting edge technology forefronts. When asked by generals how a particle accelarator would help make a better bomb, Robert R. Wilson, the head of the Fermilabs in USA replied to the national security meeting"It only has to do with the respect with which we regard one another, the dignity of men, our love of culture. It has to do with those things. It has to do with, are we good painters, good sculptors, great poets? I mean all the things that we really venerate and honor in our country and are patriotic about. It has nothing to do directly with defending our country except to help make it worth defending."

 Even though Pakistan lacks technically up to date observatories and education of formal space sciences in its universities its space program is ambitious. Pakistani students and youth have taken active interest in these fields and are bound to display their talents.