Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission

Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission

Agency overview
Formed	September 16, 1961
Jurisdiction	Government of Pakistan
Headquarters	SUPARCO Headquarter, Karachi, Pakistan
Employees	3000
Annual budget	PKR Rs. 350 million (2007)
Agency executive	Raza Hussain, Administrator
Website	www.suparco.gov.pk

The Pakistan Space Agency or Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) is the Pakistani government space agency responsible for Pakistan's space program. It was formed in September 1961 by order of President Ayub Khan on the advice of its founding director, Abdus Salam. SUPARCO is an autonomous research and development organization under the Government of Pakistan. It is a semi-civilian controlled space agency of Pakistan. The headquarters of SUPARCO is located in Karachi. The agency also has offices in Lahore and at Karachi (an engineering installation).

Formative History

File:Abdus salam.gif

Father of Pakistani Space Program.

Pakistan's quest to purse peaceful purpose space technology began in early 1960s. It was Dr. Abdus Salam's advice to the President of Pakistan, Field Marshall Ayub Khan, to establish a National Space Agency of Pakistan, SUPARCO. In September, 16, 1961, on the advice of dr.Abdus Salam, it was decided to set up a Committee dealing with space sciences. Consequently, a Space SciencesResearch Wing of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) was established through an Executive Order of the President of Pakistan, Gen. Ayub Khan which was addressed to dr. I. H. Usmani, the Chairman of PAEC. The programme of rocket firings was entrusted to Chairman PAEC. Dr. Abdus Salam was appointed its first Chairman. On June 7, 1961, under the leadership of dr.Abdus Salam and dr. I. H. Usmani, a two-stage rocket, Rehbar-I was launched Sonmiani Rocket Range. Pakistan had the honour of becoming the third country in Asia and the tenth in the world to conduct such a launching.

On July, 25,1964, Dr. Abdus Salam arranged a meeting with President Ayub Khan where SUPARCO was placed under the direct control of the President of Pakistan. On 8 March 1966, President Ayub Khan constituted SUPARCO as a separate organisation under the administrative control of Dr. Abdus Salam. Dr. Abdus Salam, along with Dr. I. H. Usmani, led a team of aerospace engineers to design a Rehbar sounding Rocket series. Dr. Abdus Salam also established space centers in different cities of Pakistan, notebly in Karachi and Lahore. Abdus Salam also intiated an aerospace engineering program in SUPARCO. He was one of the pionneering figures in 1960s to lead Pakistan in Space Power world. Abdus Salam knew the importance of space technology as well as he knew the the importance of nuclear technology. Abdus Salam effort was involvoed in the development and installation of high-powered telescope at the Karachi University. Abdus Salam was noted for his theories and its relationship to Islam in SUPARCO, his efforts were involved in inducting an applied physics and an experimental physics laboratories in Karachi University. Abdus Salam also established an aerospace engineering course in Pakistan Airforce Academy.

The establishing of SUPARCO, Pakistan was the first South Asian country to start its Space Program. Howver, the Pakistani Space Program has been freezed by time by time. In 1970s, under the Governments of President of Pakistan, General Yahya Khan and the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the Space program was freezed for more than a decade. In 1993, Both Pakistan's Nuclear and Space Programmes were freezed for 4 years due to economic depression. However, the Programme was unfreezed by then-President of Pakistan General Pervaiz Musharraf and a satellite development programme was developed rapidly.

Furthermore, Suparco faced strict sanctions on the import of several materials required to launch and manufacture rockets during the early 90’s. The delay of the Russian launch vehicle also resulted in a long delay for the launch of Pakistan’s second satellite (Badar-B). These tragedies had an immense impact on Suparco’s plan to launch and place its own satellite in orbit. However, it is still unclear about the plans of SUPARCO and its space facilities.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Main article: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

In 1961, Pakistan set up the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) with the announced goal, not yet reached, of launching Pakistani satellites aboard Pakistani rockets. In June 1962, the United States launched the first rocket from Pakistani soil. The launch used a combination of two U.S. rocket motors the Nike-Cajun. Fired from Sonmiani Beach, 50 kilometers west of Karachi, the rocket reached an altitude of almost 130 kilometers. The U.S. space agency NASA hailed the launch as the beginning of "a program of continuing cooperation in space research of mutual interest."

The NASA-SUPARCO cooperation agreement called for the training of Pakistani scientists and technicians at NASA space science centers. Before the June 1962 launch, NASA had begun to train Pakistani scientists at Wallops Island and the Goddard Space Flight Centers. NASA also set up fellowships and research associate programs at American universities for "advanced training and experience."

In 1981, SUPARCO also planned a astronautic programme with the coorperation of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). An agreement between SUPARCO and NASA was to send Pakistan's first astronaut into the space. However, after the incident of Space Shuttle Challenger, the program was put on hold. Later, the program was cancelled in 1990.

Rehbar Sounding Rocket Project.

Main article: Rehbar-I

Main article: Nike-Cajun

Status: Decommissioned

A Pakistani Nike-Cajun in launch position.

On June 7, 1962 at 19:53 hours (PST) Rehbar-I was successfully launched from Sonmiani. It soared to about 130 km into the atmosphere, making Pakistan the third country in Asia and the 10th in the world to conduct such a launch. Rehbar-II was also successfully launched from Sonmiani on June 9, 1962. The data received from Rehbar-I and Rehbar-II gave scientists information on wind shear and structure of layers of the upper atmosphere extending beyond the stratosphere. The data collected also helped in the study of cloud formation, cyclones and weather over the Arabian Sea and the coastal areas of Pakistan. Similar tests were done in the years after. The successful launch carried a payload of 80 pounds of sodium and it streaked up about 130 km into the atmosphere. SUPARCO tested its rehbar rocket series for more than a decade. The Program was decommissioned on April 8,1972.

Hypersonic Rocket Launch Vehicle Project (HRLV)

Main article: Hatf-I

Status: Active

Despite of Space program, SUPARCO also intiated in the Pakistan's nuclear and missile development program. In the early 1980s to late 1980s, the scientists of SUPARCO had closely collaborated with KRL scientists in developing of Hatf Missiles series. The program was developed secretly and was finally revealed in 1989. In January 1989 a successful launch of an "indigenous multistage rocket into deep space" was said to have reached an altitude of more than 480 km. Pakistan would like to build satellite launchers and longer-range missiles, but it is unclear how far it has progressed. In 1981, the head of SUPARCO announced plans to test a launcher by 1986, and the Pakistani press reported in early 1989 that a multi-stage rocket had successfully launched a 150-kilogram payload over 600 kilometers into "deep space."

The HRLV program was developed in secrecy. After the United States Government learned about Pakistan's Military purpose Space Program, The President of United States, George H. W. Bush quickly imposed economic and global sanctions on SUPARCO. However, the CIA also reported that the an upgrade version of HRLV-IV is developed and is believed to be in service of Pakistan's Military Space Division. The Government of Pakistan denied the report; the Government of Pakistan quickly moblized its space facilities as well as its nuclear installations in 1996.

Communication satellites

Pakistan's first satellite, the badr-1, was launched by the Chinese in 1990. At presents, Pakistan controls 2 satellites in the space.

Badr-1 Digital Communication Satellite

Status: Decommissioned

Main article: Badr-1

Badr-1 digital communication satellite, Pakistan's domestically built satellite.

SUPARCO started its first digital communication satellite in 1986. According to the plan, the satellite was launch from the Pakistani Satellite launchers. But due to economic reasons the satellite was shipped to China. The Government of Pakistan hedl talks with United States but the U.S government did not show any motives in Pakistan's space Program. Pakistan launched its Badr-1, Pakistan's first indigenously developed Digital Communications Experiment satellite, was launched in 1990 from China aboard a Long March rocket. The satellite successfully completed its designed life.

PAKSAT-1 Telecommunication Satellite

Status: Active

Main article: PAKSAT

Pakistan's Paksat-1 was originally known as Palapa. It was launched by Hughes Space and Communications Company for Indonesia. Later Indonesia declared the satellite unusable after an electric power anomaly. The insurance claims were paid and the title was transferred to Hughes Space and Communications Company. . HGS-3 was then acquired by Pakistan from M/s Hughes Global Services on "Full Time Leasing " and relocated to Pakistan's reserved slot at 38 Degree. After a series of orbital maneuvers, the Satellite was stabilized at the final location on December 20, 2002 with 0-degree inclination. The satellite is in position at the Pakistani-licensed orbital location, 38° east longitude. Paksat 1 is operational and is ready to offer services. The PAKSAT Satellite will be decommissioned from its services in the late of 2012.

Badr-4 Communication Satellite

Status: Active

Main article: Badr-4

The Saudi Space Agency signed a satellite deal with Russian Space Agency. On 21 October 2003, Arabsat held a contract signing ceremony for the manufacture and launch of the fourth generation of Arabsat satellites. The first of these, Arabsat-4A, was lost in space due to a launcher failure. This led to the ordering of BADR-6 (technically: Arabsat-4C) on 31 May 2006.

Due to failure of space launch, Saudi Arabsat did not signed a deal with Russians instead the Arabsat was interested in SUPARCO. On April 10 2005, SUPARCO's official visited Saudia Arabia where they held meeting with the leading Arab Satellite Communications Organization. The Arabsat and SUPARCO signed an agreement in which SUPARCO will designed and developed a communication satellite for Arab Satellite Communications Organization. The Programme was financed by the Saudia Arabia government. On November 8, 2006, SUPARCO launched its BADR4 on a Proton Breeze M rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Russia. Badr 4 is located at 26.0°E. BADR-4 was developed by Pakistani space agency, SUPARCO. The Project manager was SUPARCO's former Administrator, dr. Abdul Majid (Physicist).

Badr-6 Telecommunication Satellite

Status: Underdeveloped

After the success of Badr-4, the Arabsat led another agreement with SUPARCO on 16 June 2007, in which SUPARCO will developed the another upgrade version of Badr Satellite. The fifth-Generation satellite is to be launched at the 30.5° East orbital location by Q4-2009. The Badr-6 satellite is currently underdeveloped and the satellite is expected to launch in the late of 2009. The programme is sole financed by the Government of Saudia Arabia.

PAKSAT-1R Communication Satellite Project

Status: Underdeveloped

By the end of 2011, Pakistan plans to replace PAKSAT-1 with a new communication satellite PAKSAT-1R which will be manufactured exclusively for Pakistan in People's Republic of China. The satellite will support all conventional and modern Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) applications. The satellite will have a total of up to 30 transponders: 18 in Ku-band and 12 in C-band. To ensure high degree of reliability / availability of the system, two (02) fully redundant Satellite Ground Control Stations (SGCS) would be established in Karachi and Lahore, one to act as the Main and the other as Backup respectively.

Earth Observational Satellite

Badr-B (Earth Observational Satellite)

Status: Active

Main article: Badr-B

In 1999, SUPARCO was given ordered to developed its first low earth observatory satellite. The project manager was dr. Abdul Majid (physicist). On December 10, 2001 at 17:19 hours UT, Pakistan launched its second satellite, Badr-B, an Earth observation satellite from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan aboard a Russian Zenit-2 rocket, Russia. According to the Goverment of Pakistan, SUPARCO has upgraded the Badr-B Low Earth Observational Satellite. According to the Interior Ministry of Pakistan, the Satellite is being using to monitered Pakistan's western border.

Resolution Remote Sensing Satellite (RRSS)

Status: Development

After successful launching and operation of BADR series of experimental Low Earth Observational satellites (BADR-1 and BADR-B) in the 1990s and early 2000s, SUPARCO now plans to launch high resolution Resolution Remote Sensing Satellite System (RSSS) to meet the national and international user requirements in the field of satellite imagery.

A feasibility and system definition study was concluded in January 2007 which recommended the launch of a constellation of Optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). Satellites to ensure that the domestic and international user requirements are competitively met. In this respect the RFP for RSSS consultancy services was launched in July 2007. Launch of RFP for the manufacturing of the satellite is planned in the third quarter of year 2008.

RSSS is planned to be a progressive and sustainable program. Initially, SUPARCO plans to launch an optical satellite with payload of 2.5 meter PAN in 700 km sun-synchronous orbit by the end of year 2011, which will be followed by a series of optical and SAR satellites in future. Necessary infrastructure for ground control and image reception and processing is also planned to be setup. It is unclear whether the satellite will launch from Pakistan's Satellite launchers or Chinese Satellite Launchers.

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle Project (PSLV)

Status: Unknown

On March 2001, Dr. A. Q. Khan announced that Pakistani scientists were in the process of building the country's first Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV) and that the project had been assigned to SUPARCO, which also built the Badr satellites. Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan also cited the fact that India had made rapid strides in the fields of SLV and satellite manufacture as another motivation for developing an indigenous launch capabilities. Dr. Abdul Majid, then-chairman of SUPARCO, confirmed dr. Khan's statement and said " Pakistan envision a low-cost SLV and Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) inroder to launch light-weight satellite into low-earth orbits. In March 2005, President General Musharraf authorized renewed research and development on an indigenous launch capability, which would be able to orbit a planned domestically built satellite, the PAKSAT-IR.

India, Iran and Pakistan are racing towards space. On January 2004 Iranian authorities reported that their indigenous SLV will soon place a satellite in orbit. While Pakistan, on the other hand, plans to launch an SLV within the next five years. The exact nature of Pakistan’s SLV program remains unknown. However, judging from Pakistan’s ballistic missile technology, it can be said that Pakistan Government and Suparco might just be waiting for the right moment to test Pakistan’s first satellite launch vehicle.

On August, 2006, after Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz's official visit to People's Republic of China, Prime Minister Aziz called a meeting of SUPARCO's scientists and engineers, where Prime Minister was briefed by SUPARCO's scientist on the status of the both SLV and PSLV programmes. However, the status of SLV and PSLV are remained unclear.

Supersonic aircraft development

Status: Unknown

After developing the sounding Rockets and Missile project, SUPARCO scientists and engineers are reportedly developed supersonice aerodynamical technologies for space probe to be send in deep space. SUPARCO scientists and engineers working at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex have developed the ultra-electronic systems and tubulance engine components. However, the status of other programs are remaing unclear.

Revitalization and Research Program of SUPARCO

In 2005, President Musharraf outlined his vision for SUPARCO by laying down a clearly defined agenda for the national space agency to pursue and deliver in minimum time. Musharraf had made it clear that:

"Pakistan would need to catch up to the world space leaders and make up for lost time and neglect in the past and future"

.

In his [Mushrraf]] book, In the Line of Fire: A Memoir, Musharraf has expressed his desired that "SUPARCO has suffered severe economic and global sanctions but in future Pakistan will send its satellites from its soil". Revitalization, restructuring, reorientation and modernization of SUPARCO are the main objectives outlined by President Musharraf. SUPARCO is to be brought at par with other strategic organizations around the world. Specific objectives include research and development of communication satellites, Remote sensing satellites and satellite launch vehicles, with the objective of bringing rapid growth and socio-economic development in the fields of education, astronomy, Cosmology, Exobiology, Stellar science, Planetary science, Planets,Extrasolar Planet, Dwarf Planets, Comets, Asteroids, astrophysics, astrobiology, astrochemistry, aerospace engineering, rocket propellent engineering, information technology, communications, agriculture sector, mineral excavation and atmospheric sciences.

Functions

• Development of state policy concepts in the sphere of research and peaceful uses of space, as well as in the interests of national security
• Organization and development of space activities in Pakistan and under its jurisdiction abroad
• Contributing to state national security and defense capability
• Organization and development of Pakistan's cooperation with other states and international space organizations

Specific programs and missions

• Scientific space research
• Remote sensing of Earth
• Satellite telecommunication systems
• Geographic Information System
• Natural Resource Surveying
• Environmental monitoring
• Acquisition of data for atmospheric/meteorological studies
• Development of the ground-based infrastructure for navigation and special information system
• Space activities in the interests of national security and defense
• Development of research, test and production base of the space sector

Pakistani spacecrafts

Name	Launched	Retired	Purpose
Rehbar I	June 7, 1961	1962	Engineering Rocket
Rehbar II	June 9, 1962	1962	Engineering Rocket
BADR I	January 1986	1987	Experimental communications satellite
BADR B	December 10, 2001	Still in use	Communication satellite
PAKSAT-1 (formerly Palapa C1)	December 20, 2002	Still in use	Communication satellite
PAKSAT-IR	Being developed in China (expected to be launch in between 2009–2012)

Following is the list of Administrators of SUPARCO

Term	Name
1961-1967	Dr. Abdus Salam
1967-1970	Air. Comm. Władysław Turowicz
1970-1976	Air. Comm. K. M. Ahmad
1976-1979	Mr. Salim Mehmud
1979-1980	Dr. M. Shafi Ahmed
1980-1989	Mr. Salim Mehmud
1989-1990	Dr. M. Shafi Ahmad
1990-1997	Mr. Sikandar Zaman
1997-2001	Dr. Abdul Majid (Physicist)
2001-Present	Maj. Gen. Raza Hussain

International Cooperation

China

In August 2006, China committed to work with Pakistan to launch three Earth-resource satellites over the next five years. In May 2007, China (as a strategic partner) agreed and signed an accord with Pakistan to enhance cooperation in the areas of space science and technology. Pakistan-China bilateral cooperation in the space industry could span a broad spectrum, including climate science, clean energy technologies, atmospheric and earth sciences, and marine sciences.

Turkey

In December 2006, Turkey has showned interests to join Pakistan's space program. Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan signed the Memorandum of understanding (MOU). Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey and Turkish Aerospace Industries's representative signed an accord with SUPARCO to enhance the cooperation in the satellite development program .

• SUPARCO and the Department of Space have signed formal Memorandum of Understanding agreements with a number of foreign political entities:

• China
• Russia
• Thailand
• Russia
• Ukraine
• Iran
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Turkey
• France
• South Korea

See also

• Chronology of Pakistan's rocket tests
• Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
• List Of Space Agencies
• Asian Space Race
• Institute of Space Technology
• Abdus Salam
• Abdul Majid (physicist)
• Pakistan Student Satellite Program

External links

• Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO)
• FAS report on SUPARCO
• Astronautix