ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the former’s first lunar rover to be included in Beijing’s Chang’E 8 mission, the national space agency in Islamabad said.
The Chang’E 8 mission is a robotic exploration of the lunar south pole expected to launch in 2028. Last year, the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), Pakistan’s space program, said its rover would land on the lunar south pole in 2028 as part of the Chang’ E 8 mission but a formal agreement has now been signed during a visit by President Asif Ali Zardari to China this week.
“Pakistan has made a significant leap in deep space exploration with the signing of a historic MoU between SUPARCO and the China National Space Administration,” the Pakistani agency said in a press release on Thursday.
Pakistan’s participation in the mission was a “milestone” in the country’s space program and its contribution to the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) initiative, the statement added.
“SUPARCO’s lunar rover will be deployed at the Moon’s south pole,” it said. “The rover will carry advanced scientific payloads developed by SUPARCO and an internationally designed scientific payload created through collaboration between Chinese and European scientists.”
The combined effort of Pakistan and China will enhance the mission’s capability to conduct an in-depth analysis of the lunar surface, the statement said, with Pakistani scientists able to operate the rover from Earth, map the lunar surface, study lunar soil composition, radiation levels and plasma properties and test new technologies for sustainable human presence.
Last May, Pakistan launched its first lunar satellite aboard China’s Chang’e-6 probe, which successful landed on the moon’s South Pole-Aitken Basin, an impact crater on the side of the Moon that always faces away from Earth. The mission returned to earth in June, making China the first to bring back samples from the moon’s far side.
Pakistan, China sign agreement for lunar mission in 2028
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Pakistan, China sign agreement for lunar mission in 2028
- Pakistan’s first lunar rover will be part of China’s Chang’E 8 robotic exploration of the lunar south pole
- Last May, Pakistan launched its first lunar satellite aboard China’s Chang’e-6 probe of far side of the moon
Pakistan official vows to address trade challenges arising out of Afghan border closures
- Pakistan closed key border crossings with Afghanistan in October following fierce clashes
- Border crossings have led to financial losses, rising unemployment for traders on both sides
KARACHI: Prime Minister’s Coordinator on Commerce Rana Ihsaan Afzal on Wednesday reassured traders in the southwestern Chaman city that Islamabad would address issues arising out of the closure of Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossings since October.
Pakistan closed its key border crossings with Afghanistan, including the one in Chaman, for trade and movement of people in October after fierce clashes between the two countries. Pakistan and Afghanistan both claimed to have killed scores of each other’s soldiers during the conflict.
Traders on both sides have urged their governments to reopen the borders, saying that closures have caused financial losses and led to disruptions in perishable goods exports, rising unemployment and hardships for the local community dependent on cross-border trade.
Afzal chaired a high-level consultative meeting with leaders, traders and community representatives from Chaman District and the Chaman Chamber of Commerce & Industry in Islamabad on Wednesday, the Pakistani commerce ministry said in a statement.
“The coordinator reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing border trade challenges and ensuring that local communities continue to thrive,” the ministry said.
The statement said Afzal noted the concerns raised by the stakeholders, stressing that resolving the issues of Chaman’s communities is a priority for the government.
Delegates spokes about the socio-econmic impact such as financial losses and rising unemployment due to the suspension of border trade between both sides.
“The matters discussed will be escalated to relevant national and bilateral forums to seek sustainable solutions, with a focus on establishing predictable, transparent, and efficient border management protocols that balance security with legitimate trade,” the statement said.
Ties between Islamabad and Kabul have remained strained since the Afghan Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021. Pakistan has since then suffered a surge in militant attacks that it blames on militants based in Afghanistan, a charge Kabul denies.
Tensions between the two sides have resulted in frequent border closures over the years, hampering trade and commerce.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused the administration in Kabul of failing to take action against militant outfits such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which it alleges carry out attacks targeting Pakistan from Afghan soil. Kabul denies the allegations.
According to figures shared by the Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) in October, the annual Pakistan-Afghan trade volume declined from $2.5 billion dollars to $10 million during the last two fiscal years.
