Salim Mehmud

Mehmud took his BSc in Physics and a BA in Mathematics in 1955 from the Punjab University. The same year, he was admitted at the Punjab University's Graduate Program, and continued his research in Physics. He graduated and received his MSc in Physics and Electronics from Punjab University in 1957. The same year, he joined Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) as Engineer Officer (EO) and served in Nuclear Engineering Division. However, he was awarded a scholarship by former Chairman of PAEC Nazir Ahmad to continue his higher studies, and travelled to United States.

There, he attended North Carolina State University where he received his double MSc in Physics and MS in Electrical engineering in 1959. The same year, he began his post-graduate research work at Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education which he did until 1961. In 1964, he studied Nuclear engineering with the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), also at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory as part of the Atoms for Peace Program In 1961, he took his MSc in Nuclear engineering, followed by PhD in Nuclear engineering from Oak Ridge National Laboratory under the supervision of Dr. William "Bill" Nelson in 1964.

While studying at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, his mentor Dr. Bill Nelson has called him one of his brightest and finest students in his doctoral teaching experience. His doctoral dissertation covered a vast amount of study in the field of Nuclear electric rocket.

Mehmud who was working at an Oak Ridge National Laboratory as a nuclear engineer was asked by Dr. Ishrat Hussain Usmani to go to Pakistani Embassy at the Washington, D.C., and met with Professor Abdus Salam. He along with fellow nuclear engineer Tariq Mustafa arrived at the Pakistani Embassy at Washington, D.C. After the formal conversation, Professor Salam and the engineers went to a local restaurant where the engineers was personally asked by Professor Abdus Salam to join NASA.

According to his interview, Mehmud expressed his concern over joining NASA and clearly notified Abdus Salam about his willingness to work in Pakistan's nuclear industry. However, with Salam's insistence, Mehmud and Mustafa visited NASA's headquarter and examined the American advances in rocket technology. The rocket science was found to be more challenging than it seems, according to Mehmud. After his visit to NASA, Mehmud and Mustafa decided to join NASA to study and trained in the field of rocket science.

Mehmud and Mustafa were assigned to conduct research in space and rocket technology. They, at first, declined the Salam's offer and vowed to work in a Pakistan's nuclear program, according to the interview given by CNBC Pakistan. However, after Abdus Salam's insistence, Mehmud and Mustafa visited the Goddard Space Flight Center. After the visit, Mustafa and Mehmud agreed to work for NASA. Mehmud and Mustafa arrived at Greenbelt, Maryland on a Douglas DC-6. Mehmud and Mustafa joined NASA in 1961. He was trained at the Goddard Space Center in rocket technology. He was the one of the earliest pioneers of Nike-Cajun and Judi-Dart, a solid fuel propellent based rocket. He closely collaborated with NASA scientists and engineers in the development of solid fuel sounding rockets during the 1960s.

Mehmud joined SUPARCO in 1961 on the request of Abdus Salam. He was immediately transferred in SUPARCO's rocket fabrication laboratory. Mehmud was one of the distinguished member of SUPARCO's team who launched the Satellite Launch Vehicle technology based-Rehbar-I under the direction of Air Cdre. dr. Wladysław Józef Marian Turowicz. He then was sent back to NASA where he specialised in satellite and rocket technology. He then travelled with Air Cdre. Wladyslaw Turowicz to the United States where both had studied and conduct research in space and rocket technology. Mehmud came back to Pakistan where he carried out his research in rocket science and satellite launch vehicles under the supervision of Wladyslaw Turowicz. Along with Turowicz, he sat the Sonmiani facility and was the responsible for installing the Launch pads and computer facility at the Sonmiani center.

On 15 December 1980, with the support of PAEC Chairman Munir Ahmad Khan, President of Pakistan General Zia appointed Salim Mehmud as chief executive officer of SUPARCO and asked him to submit necessary recommendations for up-gradation of SUPARCO to the status of a full-fledged Commission.

Mehmud has been a vocal supporter of rocket science and technology in Pakistan. He, along with other scientists, has raised his voice in different occasion for Pakistan's space program as well as a Pakistan's satellite launch vehicle project. His efforts were involved in Pakistan's pursuit for peaceful use of satellite technology and has been a strong supporter of science in Pakistan.

Mehmud's profile has been kept in secrecy but it is known that he has work in Pakistan's aerospace weapon development program agency, DESTO. It is unknown whether how long did he stay there and when was he took his retirement from the agency. However, it is known that he has played a "father-like" role in the establishment of the Sonmiani and Tilla spaceports and have been a scientist behind the Pakistan's solid-fuel rocket firing program during the 1960s.

Along with other Pakistani scientists, Mehmud's profile and credits have been kept in high level of ambiguity. Mehmud's credit and work, such as other noted Pakistani scientists, have kept lower than Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan. Currently, he has been retired from Pakistan's strategic program and remained untouch to the other Pakistan's classified program. As of 2009, he is the chief Scientific and Technological Advisor at the Ministry of Communications of Pakistan.

• Pakistan's Space Programme, by Salim Mehmud, published as a part of Space Policy in August 1989.
• Pakistan and Earth Observation System, by Salim Mehmud.
• Pakistan and Geostationary satellites, by Salim Mehmud

• Dr. Salim Mehmud. Interview with Dr. Salim Mehmud (in Urdu).
• Dr. Salim Mehmud. CNBC Pakistan televised Interview with Dr. Salim Mehmud (TV-Series) (in Urdu). Karachi: CNBC Pakistan. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011.