The Chronology of Pakistan's rocket tests entails the series of sounding rocket launches conducted by the
Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) aimed at advancing Pakistan's space program. These launches were instrumental in developing high-altitude rockets, fostering scientific exploration, and providing invaluable data for research in physics and
atmospheric sciences
Atmospheric science is the study of the Earth's atmosphere and its various inner-working physical processes. Meteorology includes atmospheric chemistry and atmospheric physics with a major focus on weather forecasting. Climatology is the study ...
.
Commencing in 1962 and continuing until its partial termination in 1972, SUPARCO successfully launched over 200
sounding rockets
A sounding rocket or rocketsonde, sometimes called a research rocket or a suborbital rocket, is an instrument-carrying rocket designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its sub-orbital spaceflight, sub-orbital flight ...
. These missions were pivotal in studying the upper atmosphere, including investigations into temperature gradients, wind velocities, and atmospheric density.
An important milestone in Pakistan's space exploration history was the successful launch of
Rehbar-I, signifying the nation's pioneering role among developing countries, the
Islamic world
The terms Islamic world and Muslim world commonly refer to the Islamic community, which is also known as the Ummah. This consists of all those who adhere to the religious beliefs, politics, and laws of Islam or to societies in which Islam is ...
, and
South Asia
South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...
. Ranking third in Asia, this achievement underscored Pakistan's growing prominence in the field of space exploration.
Originally conceived as a SUPARCO initiative, the space mission program remains active to this day. Over time, various aerospace authorities and institutions, both domestically and through international collaborations, have assumed roles in advancing Pakistan's space capabilities. Since the late 1980s, the focus has shifted towards research and development, with an emphasis on ballistic missile testing alongside continued scientific exploration.
Spaceflight by year
References
External links
Astronautix: Pakistan
{{Military history of Pakistan
Pakistan rocket test chronology
Nuclear history of Pakistan
SUPARCO missions
Rocket test chronology