Islamabad: The hands-on educational opportunities, fascinatingdemonstrations and interaction with top scientists at a recent conferencewowed several young students and inspired them to pursue science andtechnology careers.
“Generally, when we think about space science, all that comes to mind isastronauts. But this field is incredible. It offers benefits that are asinfinite as the space itself in every field from health and medicine totransportation and computer technology” said Arsalan Khan, anIslamabad-based young student, sharing his understanding of the field afterattending a conference focused on space science.
Space technology for socio-economic development
Held in Islamabad, the three-day international conference on space 2022focused on the role of space technology and applications in socio-economicdevelopment. Experts at the conference encouraged applications of spacetechnologies for sustainable development, including ensuring food security,health applications, access to telecommunications, reducing disaster risks,preventing humanitarian crises, monitoring natural resources, andenvironmental management.
The third International conference on space was organized by Pakistan Spaceand Upper Research Commission (SUPARCO) – the country’s national spaceagency mainly responsible for conducting peaceful research in spacetechnology and promoting the technology for the socio-economic uplift ofthe country.
Asia Pacific Space Cooperation Organisation (APSCO), Islamic WorldEducational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and Inter-Islamic Networkon Space Sciences and Technology (ISNET) also cooperated in organising thespace summit.
Pakistan plans to send first astronaut into space
SUPARCO Chairman Major General Amer Nadeem said the national space agencyis implementing various projects linked with national development andsecurity. One of the projects is Pakistan’s ambitious plan to send thefirst astronaut into space.
He added that SUPARCO “is committed to promoting the use of spacetechnology and its applications for achieving sustainable development goalsadopted by the UN member states.” Space technology contributes greatly toconfronting countless challenges in the fields of climate change, resourcemonitoring, disaster management and mitigation health and education, hesaid.
Research and investment
As many as 250 scientists, researchers, engineers, academia and heads ofspace agencies, including 35 foreign participants from 16 countriesincluding UAE, Turkey, China, Azerbaijan, Australia, Canada, Egypt, Italy,South Korea, Malaysia, Austria and Switzerland attended the conference.
The conference featured 125 paper presentations on topics such as spacetechnology, applications and education as well space laws and policy whileworkshops were focused on space applications, big data analytics, satellitenavigation and microgravity.
Scientists called for “investments in space science, research andinnovation” as well as attractive funding to create future careeropportunities to attract and retain top talent in the country which hasmade minor progress in the field in the last decades.Pakistan’s President Dr Arif Alvi stressed the use of outer space forpeaceful purposes to ensure and achieve sustainable development goals atinternational conference on space on March 30, 2022. Image Credit: Supplied
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President urges self-reliance in space tech
Pakistan’s President Dr Arif Alvi urged efforts to “achieve self-reliance”in space technology which he said was “significant for the country to matchthe pace of global scientific advancements.”
He asked the country’s space scientists “to explore capabilities insatellite navigation and promote relevant applications in areas ofsocio-economic development” and to use satellite data to strengthen climateresilience, farming system and water resources.
President Alvi also stressed the use of outer space for peaceful purposesto ensure and achieve sustainable development goals and called on theinternational community to prevent countries from turning space into abattlefield. He also visited the exhibition where he was briefed aboutPakistan’s aerospace navigation systems and multi-purpose robots.Pakistan remote sensing satellite (PRSC-EOS).
Investment in space technology
Experts suggested regional and international cooperation for capacitybuilding, human resource development, technical infrastructures andattracting financial resources.
Recently, Pakistan’s national space agency signed an agreement with TurkishAerospace Industries (TAI) to jointly develop communication satellites andother space projects.
The joint manufacturing would “significantly improve Pakistan’s existingspace technologies as well as research and development,” aviation analystFahad Ibne Masood told *Gulf News*. Investments in space technology “iscritical for Pakistan to develop and adopt applications for peacefulpurposes, commercial space exploration.”Pakistan Technology Evaluation Satellite (PakTES-1A).
Pakistan’s satellite programmes
• Pakistan’s current fleet of satellites includes earth observation, remotesensing, and communication satellites, making Pakistan self-reliant incommunication and high-resolution imaging while providing a wide range ofdifferent services to the country and valuable scientific data to globalscience communities, according to SUPARCO.• Badr-1 was Pakistan’s first indigenously developed and manufactureddigital communications and experimental satellite which marked Pakistan’ssuccessful footprint in space in 1990.Pakistan’s current fleet of satellites includes earth observation, remotesensing, and communication satellites, making Pakistan self-reliant incommunication and high-resolution imaging while providing a wide range ofdifferent services to the country and valuable scientific data to globalscience communities, according to SUPARCO.• Badr-1 was Pakistan’s first indigenously developed and manufactureddigital communications and experimental satellite which marked Pakistan’ssuccessful footprint in space in 1990.• Pakistan launched its first communications satellite PAKSAT-1R in August2011 which marked the defining moment in the country’s space programme.• In 2018, Pakistan launched a remote-sensing satellite (PRSS-1) and atechnology evaluation satellite (PakTES-1A) after SUPARCO signed a spacecooperation agreement with China.• SUPARCO has initiated an optical remote sensing application satellitesprogram (PRSC-EOS) to build and launch optical remote sensing satellites bythe year 2023.• The launch of PakSAT-MM1R satellite is slated for 2024
