Pakistan is Ready to Leave its Mark on the Moon in Partnership with China

It seems Pakistan is all set to take space exploration to new heights. A giant leap for Pakistan’s space exploration has been made in its collaboration with the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO)  with China National Space Administration (CNSA).

“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 (CNSA),” a SUPARCO press release said.

Pakistan’s first domestic lunar rover will land on the moon as part of China’s ambitious Chang’e-8 mission in 2028 due to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on February 5th 2025 by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari.

According to a SUPARCO statement, Pakistan will now be at the forefront in leaving its impression on the moon and will not only be involved in the great move of leading the way into lunar exploration direction but also significantly advance the Pakistani nation’s space program. Meanwhile, Pakistan will be contributing positively to the work of the ILRS.

The Suparco lunar rover to be fully designed by Pakistani engineers and scientists is going to the south pole of the moon. The reason for such interest is that this part of the moon has a different type of ecosystem and may become a target of further human exploration.

The fact that the rover will be operated from Earth illustrates that this developing technology and therefore Pakistan is becoming a more significant part of international lunar exploration.

Pakistan successfully placed its first lunar satellite on board China’s Chang’e-6 spacecraft on the Moon’s South Pole Aitken Basin in May 2022. China became the first country to send samples from the far side of the Moon back to Earth in June.