ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) said Thursday that the Jinnah-1 lunar rover would fly aboard China’s Chang’e-8 mission around 2029.
SUPARCO selected the name from more than 4,000 entries submitted through a nationwide competition. Seven participants proposed “Jinnah-1,” and 17-year-old Tayyab Karim of Bahawalnagar was selected through a draw, the agency said.
The name honours Pakistan’s founder, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. SUPARCO said it symbolised the country’s ambitions and progress in space research.
The rover is intended to study plasma, radiation and lunar geology near the Moon’s south pole. It will also conduct experiments related to future lunar exploration and the possibility of an eventual human presence, according to the agency.
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The China National Space Administration said Chang’e-8 would target the Leibnitz-Beta Plateau in the lunar south-pole region and conduct scientific exploration and resource-utilisation experiments.
China selected the Pakistani rover as one of 10 international collaborative projects for the mission. Chang’e-8 is expected to operate alongside the earlier Chang’e-7 mission and contribute research toward the proposed International Lunar Research Station.
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SUPARCO announced Pakistan’s participation in Chang’e-8 in 2024. Further information about the vehicle is available through the agency’s lunar rover programme.
