Published on, Aug. 18 -- August 18, 2025 5:58 AM

Pakistan's recent satellite launch marks a symbolic return to space, but it also forces us to confront how far we have drifted from the promise of the 1960s. When Pakistan became only the third country in Asia to launch a rocket, our space programme looked set to chart an ambitious course. Yet political upheavals, shifting priorities, and external interventions cut short that early momentum. Where India built steadily on its foundations, Pakistan faltered, allowing decades of neglect to hollow out an enterprise that once made us a regional pioneer.

Today's successes-from earth-observation satellites to plans for a lunar mission by 2035-deserve recognition. SUPARCO's latest deployment will...