Our moon mission

The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) has named the nation's first lunar rover, selecting the name submitted by a 17-year-old from Bahawalnagar. While hardly original, Jinnah-1 is still a fitting name for the first 'made-in-Pakistan' vehicle to traverse the lunar surface. Despite decades of disappointments that betrayed his vision for the country, at least we can be sure Quaid-e-Azam would be proud of this achievement, which is scheduled to take place in 2029. The Pakistani lander will piggyback on China's Chang'e-8 mission to the Moon's south pole, which is itself a notable scientific effort.

The collaborative mission is also a good example of the strength of Pakistan's bilateral relationship with China. If all goes well, the lander will make significant contributions to the world's understanding of lunar plasma, radiation and surface geology. It will map terrain and test technologies essential for future human presence on the Moon. The 35kg rover is expected to cost around Rs400 million - including research and development - and will be operated by Pakistani specialists. But the mission is not just about building a lander. That is arguably the easy part. Challenges abound, from the sheer technical difficulty of a soft landing to the intense competition from established spacefaring nations.

Beyond the mission itself, the high-level science involved should encourage many young people to pursue careers in science, and to encourage people with science education to stay in Pakistan and work here instead of emigrating at the first available opportunity. Critics may attack the price of the mission, but given the potential upside, there are many worse places we could have allocated that money to.

And if Pakistan can make Jinnah-1 a success, it is sure to generate more interest in our space programme not just from our own students and researchers, but also from other space agencies, who would certainly become more amenable to sharing ideas and working together.