Chronology of Pakistan's rocket tests
The Suparco's spaceflight missions and tests were the sounding rocket launches of the Space Research Commission (SUPARCO) that were aimed at developing high-altitude rockets for Pakistan's space program. The exploration program provides opportunities for physics, atmospheric physics, investigations of the prevailing temperature gradients, wind velocities, and density of the upper atmosphere. Since its inception, over 200 sounding rockets were launched by Suparco from 1962 till its partial termination in 1972.
Pakistan was the first country among developing nations, Islamic world and in South Asia, third in Asia, and tenth in the world to successfully launch a vessel into outer space with a flight of Rehbar-I.
Originally, it has been a SUPARCO program and is still active as of current. The space mission program has been taken over by various aerospace authorities and institutions, including many international collaborations, in the country. Since the late 1980s, most of the tests have been involved in the research and development, followed by the physical testings of the ballistic missile have also been conducted. Notable spaceflights of the launchers have included Rehbar-I, Shaheen-I/Shaheen-II, various Ghauri-II space boosters and missiles.
Spaceflight by year
Rocket launch | Launch Date | Mission | Institutional authority | Launch Site | Outcomes | Derivatives |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rehbar-I | June 7, 1962; 14:45 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 1; Success | Nike-Cajun |
Rehbar-II | June 11, 1962; 14:50 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 1; Success | Nike-Cajun |
Rehbar-3 | March 18, 1964; 14:50 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 1; Success | Judi-Dart |
Rehbar-4 | January 12, 1966; 12:30 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi-Dart |
Rehbar-5 | January 26, 1966; 12:18 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi-Dart |
Rehbar-6 | February 16, 1966; 04:30 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi-Dart |
Rehbar-7 | January 26, 1966; 12:18 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi-Dart |
Rehbar-15 | May 3, 1967; 14:29 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 1; Success | Centaure |
Shahpar-1 | May 5, 1967; 14:29 GMT | Test Mission | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 1; Success | Dragon |
Rehbar-16 | May 7, 1967; 14:30 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 1; Success | Centaure |
Rehbar-17 | March 23, 1968; 19:04 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 1; Success | Centaure |
Shahpar-2 | March 29, 1968; 19:20 GMT | Test Mission | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 1; Success | Dragon |
Rehbar-18 | April 3, 1968; 05:38 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 1; Success | Centaure |
Rehbar-19 | February 9, 1969; 13:46 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Failure | Centaure |
Rehbar-20 | February 13, 1969; 13:48 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Failure | Centaure |
Rehnuma-1 | March 31, 1969; 14:18 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 1; Partial Success | Centaure |
Rehnuma-2 | June 16, 1969; 14:34 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi-Dart |
Rehnuma-3 | July 20, 1969; 14:30 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi-Dart |
Rehnuma-4 | July 30, 1969; 14:45 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi-Dart |
Rehnuma-5 | August 15, 1969; 14:30 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi-Dart |
Rehnuma-6 | September 10, 1969; 14:30 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi-Dart |
Rehnuma-7 | October 22, 1969; 13:50 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi-Dart |
Rehnuma-8 | November 19, 1969; 13:10 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi-Dart |
Rehnuma-9 | November 20, 1969; 13:50 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi-Dart |
Rehnuma-10 | December 17, 1969; 13:10 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi-Dart |
Rehnuma-11 | December 31, 1969; 13:50 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi-Dart |
Judi-Dart 1 | January 14, 1970; 13:00 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi-Dart |
Judi-Dart 1 | January 14, 1970; 15:15 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi-Dart |
Judi-Dart 1 | January 14, 1970; 14:00 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi-Dart |
Judi-Dart 1 | February 11, 1970; 13:30 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi-Dart |
Judi-Dart 2 | March 11, 1970; 14:30 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi-Dart |
Judi-Dart 2 | March 11, 1970; 14:30 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi-Dart |
Rehbar 21 | March 27, 1970; 00:00 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Nike-Cajun |
Rehbar 22 | March 28, 1970; 15:45 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Nike-Cajun |
Judi-Dart 2 | March 28, 1970; 00:00 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi-Dart |
Judi-Dart 1 | April 15, 1970; 14:45 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi Dart |
Judi-Dart 1 | April 15, 1970; 13:45 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi Dart |
Judi-Dart 1 | June 17, 1970; 14:50 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi Dart |
Judi-Dart 1 | July 15, 1970; 15:05 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi Dart |
Judi-Dart 1 | October 21, 1970; 15:45 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi Dart |
Judi-Dart 1 | November 25, 1970; 13:14 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 2; Success | Judi Dart |
Judi-Dart 1 | December 30, 1970; 14:50 GMT | Aeronomy | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 1; Success | Judi Dart |
Rehbar-23 | April 7, 1972; 14:20 GMT | Ionosphere Mission | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 1; Success | Centaure |
Rehbar-24 | April 8, 1972; 14:18 GMT | Ionosphere Mission | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 1; Success | Centaure |
Shahpar-3 | April 28, 1972; 00:18 GMT | Test Mission | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Level 1; Success | Centaure |
Spacecraft by year
Spacecraft name | Launch date | Launch site | Launch vehicle | Mission | Operated organization | Results |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Badr-I | July 16, 1990; 00:40 GMT | Xichang SLC, China | Long March CZ-2E | Dig Com | SUPARCO | Success |
Badr-B | December 10, 2001, 17:19 UT | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan | Zenit-2 | Comsats | SUPARCO | Partial Success |
Recent testings and launch
Launch Vehicle | Launch date | Mission | Institutional authority | Launch site | Results | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hatf-I | October 20, 1989; 00:00 GMT | Test Mission: war heads and missile parload | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Success | |
Ghauri-I | April 6, 1998; 04:30 GMT | Test Mission: war heads and Missile payload | KRL | Tilla Terminal Test | Success | |
Shaheen-I | January 15, 1999; 02:30 GMT | Test Mission: war heads and Missile payload | PAEC | Sonmiani Terminal | Partial Failure | |
Ghauri-II | April 14, 1999; 05:35 GMT | Test Mission: war heads and Missile payload | KRL | Tilla Terminal Test | Success | |
Shaheen-I | April 15, 1999; 04:58 GMT | Test Mission: war heads and Missile payload | PAEC | Sonmiani Terminal | Success | |
Ghauri-III | November 19, 2000; 00:00 GMT | Test Mission: first operational test | KRL | Tilla Terminal Test | Ground Failure | |
Ghauri-II | May 25, 2002 04:30 GMT | Test Mission: war heads and Missile payload | KRL | Tilla Terminal Test | Success | |
Shaheen-I | October 24, 2002; 02:30 GMT | Test Mission: war heads and Missile payload | PAEC | Jinnah Naval Test Range | Success | |
Shaheen-I | October 8, 2002 | Test Mission: war heads and Missile payload | PAEC | Sonmiani Terminal | Success | |
Shaheen-III | March 9, 2004 | Test Mission: first operational test; first maiden test | SUPARCO | Tilla Terminal Test | Success | |
Ghauri-I | May 29, 2004 | Operational test | KRL | Tilla Terminal Test | Success | |
Ghauri-I | June 4, 2004 | Operational range test | KRL | Tilla Terminal Test | Success | |
Ghauri-I | October 12, 2004 | Operational war-test | KRL | Tilla Terminal Test | Success | |
Shaheen-II | March 19, 2005 | Test Mission; maiden flight test | NDC | Sonmiani Terminal | Success | |
Ghauri-II | November 16, 2006 | Test Mission; launch test operation | KRL | Tilla Terminal Test | Success | |
Shaheen-I | November 29, 2006 | Field operational test | PAEC | Sonmiani Terminal | Success | |
Shaheen-II | February 23, 2007 | Test mission; launch test | NDC | Sonmiani Terminal | Success | |
Abdali-I | March 3, 2007 | First test mission; engine testing | SUPARCO | Sonmiani Terminal | Success | |
Ra'ad | August 25, 2007 | Test Mission: Operational test | Pakistan Air Force | Jinnal Naval Test Range | Success | |
Shaheen-I | January 25, 2008 | Routine Test mission | PAEC | Sonmiani Terminal | Success | |
Shaheen-II | April 19, 2008 | Field Operational Test | NDC | Sonmiani Terminal | Success | |
Shaheen- | April 21, 2008 | Operational and capability testing | NDC | JJinnah Naval Test Range | Success | |
Hatf-XI | April 19, 2011 | Test Mission and field operational test | NDC | Tilla Terminal Test | Success | |
December 10, 2001
Date | Time | Launch Site | Launch Complex | LaunchPad | Launch Vehicle | Model | LV Configuration |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2001 December 10 (See Badr-B table below) | 17:18 GMT | Baikonur | LC45 | LC45/1 | Zenit-2 | Zenit-2 | Zenit-2 19L (1381573091) |
- Badr-B
Badr-B was Pakistan's second satellite. Built-in collaboration with the English company SIL, it had a mass of 70 kg and carried an Earth imager.
Mass | Class | Type | Spacecraft | Manufacturer | Agency | Perigee | Apogee | Inclination | COSPAR | USAF Sat Cat | References | Level |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
70 kg (154 lb) | Remote Sensing, experimentation | Civilian | Badr-B | SUPARCO (Pakistan) and Rosaviakosmos (Russia) | SUPARCO | 996 km (618 mi) | 1,015 km (630 mi) | 99.70 deg | 2001-056C | 27003 | 4, 296, 552, 554 | 1 |
May 25, 2002 - November 16, 2006
Date | Time | Launch Site | Launch Vehicle | LV Configuration | Agency | Apogee | References | Level |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2002 May 25 | 04:30 GMT | Tilla | Ghauri | Ghauri Ghauri II | Test mission: Pakistan (KRL) | 150 km (90 mi) | 1823 | 1 |
2002 October 4 | 02:30 GMT | Sonmiani | Shaheen 1 | Test mission: Pakistan (PAEC) | 100 km (60 mi) | 1823 | 1. | |
2002 October 8 | Sonmiani | Shaheen 1 | Test mission: Pakistan (PAEC) | 100 km (60 mi) | 1823 | 1. | ||
2004 March 9 | Tilla | Shaheen 3 | Hatf 6 | Shaheen 3 test | 554 | 1 | ||
2004 May 29 | Tilla | Ghauri | Ghauri test: Pakistan (KRL) | 150 km (90 mi) | 1823 | 1 | ||
2004 June 4 | Tilla | Ghauri | Test mission: Pakistan (KRL) | 150 km (90 mi) | 1823 | 1 | ||
2004 October 12 | Tilla | Ghauri | Ghauri test: Pakistan (KRL) | 150 km (90 mi) | 1823 | 1. | ||
2005 March 19 | Tilla | Shaheen 2 | Hatf 6 | Shaheen 2 test | 1 | |||
2006 November 16 | Tilla | Ghauri | Ghauri test launch | 1 | ||||