ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) on Friday invited scientists, researchers, and students to contribute to the country’s first-ever human spaceflight mission.

As Pakistan’s first astronaut prepared to undertake a historic journey to the Chinese Space Station (CSS), the national space agency called for proposals for innovative experiments to be conducted in the extreme thermal, complete vacuum, and microgravity environment of the CSS to maximise the scientific impact of this mission.

Suparco said that the CSS orbited the Earth in an elliptical orbit inclined at 41.5 degrees with respect to the equator, at an altitude of approximately 380 km. It completed an orbit around the Earth every 92 minutes, traveling at an orbital velocity of around 7.7 km/sec.

This was an exciting opportunity for the Pakistani public to play an active role in advancing space science and technology, the space agency said.

Selected experiments will leverage the CSS’s state-of-the-art research facilities, including specialised experiment racks for space life sciences, biotechnology, fundamental physics, fluid dynamics, material science, and astrophysics. Suparco particularly encouraged proposals in the domains of agriculture and medical sciences, where microgravity could enable groundbreaking insights.

Proposed experiments should be novel, cost-effective, lightweight, and feasible within a week in microgravity. Submissions must align with CSS research priorities, be unique, and support sustainable development goals.

Pakistan’s astronaut was expected to undertake the CSS spaceflight mission tentatively by the end of 2026, or as per upcoming CSS mission schedules, following the successful completion of astronaut training.

In a statement, the space agency said this initiative represented a great opportunity for the scientific and industrial community, as experimental findings may lead to publications in high-impact scientific journals, filing of patents for new discoveries, and the development of commercial products for space applications, ultimately contributing to socio-economic development.

The last date to submit experiments is April 30, 2025. More details on available facilities, research categories, and the submission process can be found at:https://sead.pk/Announcement/Detail/5094

Suparco said that this was a significant chance for Pakistan’s scientific community and emerging scientists and engineers to contribute to the nation’s space journey and make a lasting impact on the future of space exploration.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2025