Article 48

SWOT Analysis of NUST Journal of International

Pakistan’s Space Program Peace & Stability
2020, Vol. III (2) Pages 48-59
njips.nust.edu.pk

Noor-ul-Huda Atif1

Abstract
Outer space in Pakistan is a trivial notion, and the idea has become less concerning
for the authorities let alone the general masses. For decades, this field has been void
of any particularly outstanding and significant development in the country with only a
handful of satellites launched in outer space. Where the world has progressed in space
technology utilizing it for exploring, exploiting, and now even racing to dominate the
global common, that is the outer space, Pakistan‟s space program has been lagging
and misses the opportunities that a robust outer space program provides, all the while
ignoring the threats that arise from a weak space program. The significance of outer
space has increased over the years in both civilian and military domains, where
militarization outer space is now being transformed into a weaponization
phenomenon. The space race that began in the Asian region with the Soviet Union
inspired periphery states such as Pakistan to join space faring. Pakistan was the third
country in Asia to establish its space agency; however, over time, it has lost its
acclaimed position. Over time, it has grown weak with minimal research and
development (R&D) in the field. Pakistan‟s space program lacks a place in the
literature, and academic discussions and this study aims at filling that gap by
analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities for the space program
of Pakistan.

Keywords
Pakistan, India, security, outer space, SWOT analysis, SUPARCO

Introduction
Outer space is gaining strategic significance for competition with time among not
only the world powers but regional powers as well. In recent times, this global
common has increasingly gained popularity among the developing states pertaining to
its multidimensional significance in academics, science and technology, and security
aspect. Access to space has become relatively easy in terms of technology; however,
it is still an expensive venture to achieve, which requires an amalgamation of both
sound technology and a robust and stable economy. In order to obtain maximum
benefit from outer space, it is essential to devise strategies and policies that may
strengthen the space program. Space programs are formulated to help explore the
outer space and develop the technology required to carry out these programs. Among
South Asian states, Pakistan was the first country to formulate its space program;

1
Noor-ul-Huda Atif is currently working as a Research Fellow at the South Asian Strategic Stability
Institute (SASSI), Islamabad.
E-mail: noorulhuda@sassi.org.pk
NUST Journal of International Peace and Stability (NJIPS) Vol. III, No.2 49

however, it has had relatively slow-paced progress, which has put it behind by many
folds in the regional and global space race. Space race has enhanced the global
importance of the domain. In a short time, the world‟s approach towards outer space
has changed altogether. The exploration has shifted to the paradigm of exploitation of
outer space and its resources. This exploitation has rendered the global security
vulnerable, with states like India and Pakistan becoming space-faring states as both
poses a hostile nature towards each other, which jeopardizes their mutual relations
and has adverse impacts on the regional peace and stability. The fast-track
advancement of space technology in the military domain by India has already created
an imbalance in the capabilities of both countries. Owing to the assessment of the
looming threats for false flag operations within these circumstances, the security of
outer space in the future must be sought after. The regional security dynamics of
South Asia have more potential for facing direct threats in this scenario.
Subsequently, India‟s ambitions to militarize and weaponize outer space threaten the
national security of Pakistan.
This paper will review the progress of Pakistan‟s space program. The
foreground is set on the phases of the space program that cover different eras in the
R&D of Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO). The
paper is based on the primary data collected through semi-structured interviews from
national experts, academics, and practitioners associated with outer space in Pakistan.
It overviews the space program of Pakistan, highlighting the strengths and
weaknesses of the program. The paper explores the threats and opportunities offered
by the space program to Pakistan, via the SWOT analysis. The paper highlights the
strengths and weaknesses in terms of an academic basis, lack of technology, and
financial resources. The paper will assess the threats faced by Pakistan. It will also
explore the opportunities to strengthen Pakistan‟s space program further through
indigenous developments and the feasibility of international collaborations.

Pakistan’s Space Program

Dr Abdus Salam, a world-renowned physicist and Pakistan‟s first noble laureate, was
the pioneer of Pakistan‟s space program (Mehdi & Su, 2019). He conceived the idea
of an institution that can cater to the strategic and modern scientific needs of the state.
Dr Salam was determined to strengthen the strategic basis of the country and
established the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) in 1956 (History). He
understood the strategic and scientific importance of outer space as well and initiated
the space program under the umbrella of PAEC in 1961. Under the brilliance of his
faculties, Pakistan became the third country in Asia to launch an ambitious space
program. Space and Upper Atmosphere Committee was established under the
auspices of PAEC as its parent organization, which was later recognized as an
autonomous body in 1964 (Kingwell, 2014). However, SUPARCO became the
successor institute of this committee that dealt with the research and development in
the field of outer space (Ibid).
Owing to the strategic significance of outer space, the status of this
commission was once again changed from the autonomous body and was placed
under the direct command of the Strategic Planning Division (SPD) (Ali & Khan,
2019). Since Pakistan has lagged in the indigenous capabilities of space technology,
the United States assisted in initiating the space program. US-supported in the launch
of sounding rockets such as Rehbar- I and Rehbar-II in 1962 (Mehmud, 1989). In
1961, when Pakistan perceived the idea of exploring the outer space, US President
John F. Kennedy announced his ambition of landing on the moon (Mehdi & Su,
NUST Journal of International Peace and Stability (NJIPS) Vol. III, No.2 50

2019). This mission required knowledge and information of the upper atmosphere
exceeding the stratosphere and the Indian Ocean provided a suitable environment to
collect this data. Pakistan seized this opportunity and offered to join the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) with their data collection (Mehdi &
Su, 2019). With the US and NASA‟s support of rocket launching, Pakistan‟s
scientists mastered the launching capability, which began with sending sounding
rockets in the 1970s (Amhed Bilal, 2019).

Trajectory of SUPARCO
The history of SUPARCO is sinusoidal and had its complications. The history of
Pakistan‟s Space Program is categorized in three phases, where Phase I is almost
thirty years, 1961-1990, Phase II is from 1991-1999 and finally, the period of 2000-
2012 is Phase III (SUPARCO).
During this era, SUPARCO focused on understanding the working of space
and space assets, R&D of sounding rockets and satellites. In this period, Pakistan set
up the space commission, mastered the engineering of sounding rockets, and launched
its first indigenous satellite Badr-A, also known as Badr-I (Amhed Bilal, 2019).
During this phase, SUPARCO set up research labs and ground stations at Lahore and
Islamabad. The Satellite Ground Station (SGS) and Satellite Research and
Development Centre for Communication Satellite (SRDC) were established at
Islamabad and Lahore, respectively (SUPARCO).
The second phase of the ten years (1990-1999) began with the R&D of the
second satellite of Badr program, named Badr-B. However, there was a hiatus in the
R&D during this time in the field of outer space was decreased for a very long time.
The second phase mainly incorporates research of Remote Sensing Technology,
which had begun in 1973, and only one satellite was launched during this era, with
borrowed satellite imagery technology. (Mehmud, 1989; Amhed Bilal, 2019).
The third phase, in 2000, began the revival of the dormant status of
Pakistan‟s space agency. The authorities recognized the need to increase expertise in
the field and that SUPARCO must be brought at power with the leading space
agencies. The third phase of the space program focused on the launch of Badr-B and
Paksat-1, which led to Design and Development (D&D) and the launch of Paksat-1R
in 2011. Along with the development and launching of satellites, the authorities
directed their attention towards the capacity building and facility enhancement at the
SGS (SUPARCO).
Pakistan launched two satellites through the Chinese Jiuquan satellite launch
centre in 2018 according to the space vision. PRSS-1 is Pakistan‟s first Remote
Sensing Satellite that will mainly serve the purpose of monitoring of CPEC projects.
The other satellite launched was PakTES-1A that is an indigenously developed
satellite by the SUPARCO (Mehdi & Su, 2019).
NUST Journal of International Peace and Stability (NJIPS) Vol. III, No.2 51

2.5

2
Number of Satellites

1.5

0.5

0
1960 1970 1980 1990 2001 2011 2018

Launch Years
Figure 1: Trajectory of SUPARCO‟s Progress

Satellites by Pakistan
Pakistan has managed to launch six satellites; however, the gap between the first
launch of rockets and the launch of satellites is very alarming. Pakistan launched the
first satellite Badr-1 in 1990, after a daunting gap of thirty years (Mehmud, 1989).
The indigenously made satellite was launched from the Chinese Long March-2E
launcher. It was an artificial satellite launched for experimental purposes, with a
lifetime of fifteen years. The second satellite again took a decade to launch. Badr-
B/Badr-2 launched 2001, was a Russian Zenith-2 Rocket with only two years of shelf
life. It was more sophisticated than the Badr-1 and had a (Charged Coupled Device)
CCD camera, which took pictures of the Earth (BADR-B). The system allowed
ground stations to change the direction of satellite in space. In the same year, the
PAKSAT-1 was launched (Mehdi & Su, 2019). The Turkish satellite, which was
earlier used by Indonesia as well, was a communication satellite leased to Pakistan.
This satellite was launched to retain the slot provided to Pakistan by the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU).
It took yet another decade for Pakistan to launch PAKSAT-1R, which was
launched in 2011, into the geostationary orbit (Ali & Khan, 2019). Pakistan used
Chinese launcher CZ-3B to launch PAKSAT-1R, which replaced PAKSAT-1 that
was launched earlier. However, it took another eight years for Pakistan to launch
more satellites. In July 2018, Pakistan launched PRSS-1 and PakTES-1A, where
PakTES-1A is an indigenous effort of Pakistan (Amhed Bilal, 2019). Apart from
these satellites, Pakistan also owns an iCube satellite that was a project of the Institute
of Space Technology (IST) (SUPARCO). IST is an educational institution affiliated
with the SUAPRCO. These satellites are very less in terms of quantity and quality as
compared to the other states in the region that started many years after Pakistan‟s
space program.
NUST Journal of International Peace and Stability (NJIPS) Vol. III, No.2 52

National Space Policy and Regulatory Framework

The space program of Pakistan lacks direction despite a national space policy, a
national regulatory framework on outer space activities, and a space vision. The
national space policy highlights a direction for space activities under a statutory
framework, which is currently missing, as Pakistan has not formulated any national
legislation for space activities (Din & Butt, 2020). The incoherence among the three
main documents has disrupted achieving sustainable goals in outer space. Pakistan‟s
national policy addressing the outer space activities focuses on the authoritative body
that will overlook the design, manufacturing, and the procurement of satellite
technology in Pakistan (Khan, 2014). The regulatory body will also be responsible for
issuing the license to operate satellites and maintaining the national registry of space
objects. It will manage the regional and global cooperation of Pakistan regarding the
outer space. The regulatory authority will devise a framework for the space sector,
focusing on the peaceful utility of outer space assets. According to the policy, the
development of space assets for civil use of space technology and applications will be
in collaboration with the civil space sector. The national framework currently focuses
its attention on an understanding of space laws, policy, and regulatory issues at the
national and international levels.

Table 1: Pakistan‟s satellites launched in outer space

No. Satellite Launch Date Function carried out by Satellite

Experimental and Educational
1 Badr-1 16 July, 1990
Purpose
2 Badr-B 10 December, 2001 Experimental Purpose
Communication satellite used for
3 PakSat-1 December, 2001
tele-medicine and tele-education
Geosynchronous and Communication
4 PakSat-1R 11 August, 2011 satellite that replaced the PakSat-1
satellite
Dual purpose remote sensing satellite
5 PRSS-1 9 July, 2018 used for earth observation and optical
satellite
Technology Evaluation Satellite-
6 PakTES-1A 9 July, 2018
remote sensing

Pakistan’s Space Vision

The outer space has become significant to the global players in the modern world due
to the technical advancement of the command, control, and communication. It
broadens the horizon of capabilities for any state in the world with the dual-purpose
utility, including civilian and military use. Pakistan is all set to advance as an
ambitious space-faring state with its space vision. Space vision was initially named
Pakistan‟s Space Program (PSP) -2040, which was approved by the then Prime
Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. However, it was later renamed to Space Vision
(Official, 2019). The main aim of the space vision is that the people of Pakistan must
benefit from space technology. This can be done by utilizing outer space capabilities
for socio-economic and defence purposes. Currently, Pakistan uses space technology
NUST Journal of International Peace and Stability (NJIPS) Vol. III, No.2 53

for socio-economic purposes, including agriculture, communication, meteorology,

and aeronautics.
The „space vision‟ focuses on the functions of the operational framework
(Shah, 2012). According to the vision, Pakistan will develop and launch five Geo-
stationary satellites and six Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites (Shah, 2012). The
details of the space vision have been kept confidential as Pakistan treats its space
program as a national security concern with the growing strategic significance of
outer space. This space vision will prove to be a guide for Pakistan to regain its outer
space autonomy and counter the threats it faces from the adversaries with a
unidirectional approach.

SWOT Analysis of Pakistan’s Space Program

The space program has gained strategic significance in Pakistan over the years, given
the military ambitions of its adversary. The growing strategic significance of the outer
space has prompted Pakistan to resurrect its vulnerable space program. A secure
space program and investment in space technology is a need of the hour for the
country. To achieve this ambition, a strategy build-up must be initiated at the grass-
root level starting from the strengthening academic foundations as a part of space
technology, and space policy as the space vision of Pakistan‟s space program
provides an institutional framework for the future.
Establishing a reliable and effective space program for Pakistan has become
a necessity as the international and regional outer space activities have gained
momentum over the last few years. The analysis of the strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats provide a definitive outline for more sustainable strategies
for the advancement and reinforcement of the space program. It is crucial to identify
these characteristics for the space program to incorporate them into the space policy.
With regards to the strengths, education has the foremost significance in the growth of
any research and development institution. It plays an essential role in the
strengthening of the space program. Education provides for the technical and non-
technical pool of experts and specialists. It will help in formulating a robust Human
Resource (HR) and contributing to capacity building.
Furthermore, there are two ways to enhance the capacity; to increase the
commercial use of space capabilities and to employ outer space assets for military
purposes as well, with the dual-purpose technology. The latest development of PRSS-
1 serves the interest of commercial and strategic users for high-resolution imagery
(Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite).
As far as weaknesses are concerned, Pakistan lacks the coherence of
institutions that are required to strengthen the space program. There are separate
public and private institutions that exist in their segregated capacity (Amhed Bilal,
2019). The collaboration among these institutes is challenging to achieve in the
absence of national space legislation, weakening the progress of the space program.
The gap in collaboration also widens due to weak economic and technical foundation,
as outer space experimentation remains an expensive venture requiring high-end
technology.
In view of the above, it is essential to acknowledge that the strategic aspect
of warfare has shifted from kinetic to non-kinetic and unconventional methods,
amidst of which outer space has emerged as a new security challenge for the
international community. The significance of this domain in South Asia has increased
in the last few years. South Asian states are using outer space like other states in any
other region for militarization (Riaz, 2019). India heavily militarizes the region in
NUST Journal of International Peace and Stability (NJIPS) Vol. III, No.2 54

every aspect, which is now reaching outer space as well. It has emerged as a space
power with the Anti-Satellite (ASAT) test, and it should be taken into account that as
an adversary with hostile relations, India‟s ambitions will always be directed towards
Pakistan. The development of an effective space program, with defensive counter
capabilities, has become a national security emergency for Pakistan.
Pakistan is on the path of reviving its space program, which allows it to
engage domestic and international institutes for various collaborations. The
educational institutions-industry synergy is one of many options that provide
opportunities to enhance the capacity of space programs. It is from this synergy that
new and innovative ideas will emerge and small, testing satellites like the iCube
satellite can be designed, developed, and launched indigenously or through
international collaborations.

Strengths and Opportunities

The space program offers multiple opportunities for Pakistan, domestically, and
internationally. The private-public partnership at national and international level is an
opportunity to encompass the strengths at different levels.
Strong Academic Foundation
The higher studies in Pakistan offer many subjects that collectively contribute to
space technology and the development of satellites (Riaz, 2019). The engineering
universities across the country are offering specialization in Material Sciences and
Engineering, Nano-technology, Electronics, Avionics, Aerospace, Data-Imaging, and
Signal Processing, which contribute to the satellite and space assets development.
However, only a few dedicated higher education institutions offer academic expertise
in space sciences and technology. In Pakistan, only three universities offer the subject
of Space sciences and only two of them offer specializations in space sciences that too
as non-engineering courses. Whereas, the social research related to space
militarization and strategic significance of outer space is only taught in the one
university of Pakistan, Air University Islamabad at the department of Aerospace
Science and Strategic Studies.
The departments of space sciences in Pakistan are educating hundreds of
students that are graduating with expertise in the space sciences and technology; they
are employed in the different organizations, domestically and internationally (Dr.
Javed Iqbal, 2019). These educational intuitions have industry linkages that yield
better-equipped scientists and engineers who have firsthand experience of the latest
technology that is employed worldwide. These students are not only working as
interns and fellows at the government institutions such as SUPARCO but in
international organizations like UAS-global, which is Pakistan‟s first and only
authorized UAV provider for civil and military purposes. These private organizations
provide experience and exposure to the students in aviation but not in satellite
technology and outer space dynamics.
NUST Journal of International Peace and Stability (NJIPS) Vol. III, No.2 55

Table 2: Subject of Space Sciences offered in Pakistan

Sr. No. Field of Study Institute

1 BS Space Sciences Institute of Space Technology,

Islamabad
2 BS Space Sciences Punjab University, Lahore
3 M.Sc. Space Sciences Punjab University, Lahore
4 MPhil. Space Sciences Punjab University, Lahore
5 PGD Space Sciences Punjab University, Lahore
6 B.Sc. (Hons.) Space Karachi University, Karachi
Sciences
7 MSc. Space Sciences Karachi University, Karachi
8 MS Space Sciences Karachi University, Karachi
9 PhD Space Sciences Karachi University, Karachi

Capacity Building
The military utilization of outer space is inevitable. Pakistan must realize the severity
of the changing dynamics of this domain. He is of the view that Pakistan should
develop a program that is capable of incorporating dual-use capability- civilian and
military. It will not only strengthen the country‟s defence but will also contribute to
the state‟s economy. However, the country faces a lapse of technical expertise.
Pakistan launched its first Remote Sensing satellite in 2018 despite SUPARCO
initiating a dedicated division for Remote Sensing Research in 1973 (Mehmud, 1989).
It evidently manifests the slow-paced progress of Pakistan‟s Space Program that took
almost forty years to develop its technical research into a final product.
Development of Dual-use Satellites
The space vision of Pakistan has provided a framework for developing geo-stationary
satellites that will be beneficial in the socio-economic domain. As military utilization
of outer space and its assets is inevitable in the modern age, Pakistan should invest in
the development of dual-purpose satellites. Currently, Pakistan employs its PRSS
satellite for dual purposes. Space technology used for imagery and communication
must be indigenous and developed to address the security threat in the short term. In
the meanwhile, the peaceful purposes of the space technology, in the long run, will be
beneficial for the state to progress. Pakistan must have strong defensive space policy
and technology to counter the threat that looms in the region. The dual-purpose
satellites will provide new avenues for the progress of the space program and the
SUPARCO. The commercial use of satellites will generate revenue that will help
achieve a rather expensive goal.
International Collaborations
Pakistan has become the closest ally of China in its latest strategy of emerging as a
soft power with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It has placed various national and
regionally significant projects under the umbrella of China–Pakistan Economic
Corridor (CPEC). Space vision and the renewed space policy of Pakistan are also
noted as a part of this mega multi-billion investment project that helped Pakistan to
launch two satellites. However, China cannot be Pakistan‟s only option for
NUST Journal of International Peace and Stability (NJIPS) Vol. III, No.2 56

international cooperation. Previously, Pakistan has launched satellites in collaboration

with Turkey, which is an option that can always be explored. Nevertheless, these are
not the only available choices, and Pakistan must consider alternative collaborations
to enhance its horizon. The states that have successfully launched their space
programs like France and Japan can become potential collaborative partners (Official,
2019). Pakistan is also moving towards improved strategic relations with Russia and
given the increased military cooperation in mutual relations as well as the regional-
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) - it must incorporate the development of
space program (Official, 2019).

Threats and Weaknesses

Regionally, the outer space dynamics revolve around two states of China and India,
where India is regionally competing with China yet pursuing Pakistan as a soft target.
This competition has had adverse effects on Pakistan‟s national security. Considering
the arms race in outer space as a national and regional security threat, the paper
moves on to discuss the regional and national security threats that emerge due to the
militarization of outer space. The imbalance of outer space capabilities in this age can
be challenging for a state like Pakistan. Pakistan has to not only secure its territory but
also maintain the deterrence for its own peace to prevail.
Lack of Facilities and Defense Strategies
Pakistan‟s vulnerable defences against the state of the art space assets of the
adversary integrated with C4ISR capabilities empowering it with the Space Situation
Awareness (SSA) increases Pakistan‟s defenselessness in outer space (Mansoor,
2018). The lack of counter strategies and the security tactics of the ground assets
highlight the weaknesses of the space program. The development of defensive
strategies to secure space assets, ground facilities, and monitor the space activities of
the adversary must be the mission statement of the space program that is mainly
providing defensive capabilities. The lack of facilities and space labs has caused a gap
in the research, design, and development of launching facilities, ground, and space
assets as exploring the outer space requires space assets supported by ground
facilities.
The national awareness about the significance of the growing space
militarization is the need of the hour. Pakistan‟s adversary, India, is capable of
monitoring the activities even in the darkest of nights and given the circumstances,
the priority of safeguarding strategic assets must be treated as an urgent matter and a
national concern (Mujadid, 2019). India has developed the geo-stationary satellites
that are used for monitoring and are capable of providing inter and intra-
communication continually. Over years, there have been additions to the
reconnaissance satellite series of RISAT, Cartosat and GSAT military dedicated
satellites (Zahid & Qaiser, 2019). The Cartosat-2E satellite and the RISAT-2BR1
have been termed as the „eye-in-the-sky‟ and „spy-satellite‟, respectively (India
Today, 2019). The increase in reconnaissance satellites that are capable of providing
real-time data and information weakens the defences.

Regional Security Threat

Addressing outer space development as a national security emergency requires
addressing the threat along with the military lines. Regional security is currently at
stake due to the two technically most advanced states of China and India are
competing for an arms race in outer space. The relationship equation of Pakistan,
India, and China has created complex regional security, with China and India being
NUST Journal of International Peace and Stability (NJIPS) Vol. III, No.2 57

the prominent players of outer space and Pakistan being a significant regional power.
The offensive-defensive power nexus among these states transforms the security
trilemma in outer space (Khan & Khan, 2019). India has openly admitted to its
military ambitions in outer space ever since China acquires ASAT capability (Arif &
Qaiser, 2017). Since the Kargil war of 1999, India has realized the importance of
space technology and openly admitted to employing it for military purposes (Defence
M. o., 2017).
India tested its Anti-satellite (ASAT) capability in March 2019 (Times of
India.com, 2019). India has always centred its acquisition of military stockpile
towards out-growing Chinese military ambitions (Rajagopalan, 2011). However,
historically their military aggression has always directed towards Pakistan. After
China tested its ASAT capability, India maintained a contradicting approach towards
the militarization of outer space (Rajagopalan, 2011). On the one hand, the political
leadership and civil bureaucracy maintained the stance of the peaceful utility of outer
space while the military hierarchy stressed the importance of a countermeasure.
Within three years, their ambitions on the militarization of outer space became
visible.
In 2010, the integrated Defence Staff of HQ stated in a policy document,
“India will develop anti-satellite weapons „for electronic and physical destruction of
satellites in both LEO and GEO-synchronous orbits‟. On another occasion, the chief
of DRDO and the scientific advisor to the defence minister, V.K. Sarawat,
commented, “India has begun the development of ASAT capability”. In February
2011, at the press conference after the test of Agni-III, Sarawat referred to the test as
India‟s anti-satellite capability. He validates the simulation of anti-satellite technology
on the ground at the same occasion. Similarly, the president of India, APJ Abdul
Kalam has also boosted the anti-satellite technology of India on the Golden Jubilee
celebration of DRDO stating that it has the capability of intercepting and destroying
any spatial object within the radius of 200 km (Rajagopalan, 2011). After projecting
its ambitions to the world, India realized its ambitions of militarizing outer space after
nine years and conducted a successful ASAT test on 27, March 2019.
National Security Threat
The significance of outer space in South Asia has increased in the last few years.
South Asian states are using outer space like other states in any other region for
militarization. The achievements that India has made in this domain have shifted the
geostrategic paradigm of the region. India holds close collaborations with the United
States and Israel for technical assistance and acquiring upgraded assets (Sarosh,
2019). It has realized the significance of outer space and employing all the capacities
to closely monitoring its adversary.
The development of ASAT capability by India will have global and regional
impacts on multiple fronts. It claims to be competing with China to counter it in outer
space, but this progress can have a devastating effect on Pakistan in the future.
Pakistan should be able to foresee the threats that this aggressive advancement can
have on the country and develop a multi-fold program (Riaz, 2019). Military utility
and militarization of outer space are inevitable. A space program must be capable of
incorporating the dual-purpose utility of space assets and ground facilities, as military
and commercial purposes are beneficial for each other (Riaz, 2019). India has attained
a dual-use capability of space assets as for them; it is a matter of prestige rather than
national security (Official, 2019). This ASAT test has made India capable of
challenging China, but it will have a tertiary impact on Pakistan.
NUST Journal of International Peace and Stability (NJIPS) Vol. III, No.2 58

Conclusion
Conclusively, the paper has provided an overview of the phases of Pakistan‟s Space
Program and a SWOT analysis. The SWOT analysis played a vital role in identifying
the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with the space
program of Pakistan. The paper highlighted that the strength of space programs for
Pakistan lies in the increase of training and education of the space sciences graduates
in the professional environment. It can be made possible with the synergies of
educational and professional institutions. The students must be motivated to perform
R&D within the resources available at the educational institutions in order to increase
the feasibility of the indigenous development of space assets. These opportunities can
be provided with the private-public collaboration, which will further enhance the
capacity building in the field of space sciences, where the introduction of a student
satellite program in educational institutions, launched by SUPARCO, is a step
forward in this direction. The international partnerships also offer alternatives and
opportunities for technology and development collaborations as highlighted.
The paper also highlighted the weaknesses in the lack of indigenous
development, limited focus on the subjects of space sciences and engineering, lack of
defensive strategies for outer space, and inadequate attention towards the international
collaboration for transfer of technology and the research and development in the field
of outer space. The lag of R&D has weakened the progress of the space program,
which led to the emergence of national and regional threats vis-à-vis outer space in
South Asia. The lack of C4ISR and SSA capabilities possessed by Pakistan‟s
adversary makes the tactical and strategic ground assets vulnerable. Pakistan lacks
counter strategies for outer space that may provide safety and security in case of an
unfortunate event. Along with the strategy is the absence of space assets and relevant
ground facilities that further weaken the space program and threaten the national
security of the country. Moreover, a vulnerable space program of Pakistan and the
absence of deterrence in outer space further threatens the fragile strategic stability of
the South Asian region.

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