With debt-ridden economy, Pakistan eyes moon landing by 2035: Can China help realize its space ambitions?

Pakistan has set an ambitious target of landing on the moon in 2035 as it prepares to send its first astronaut into space aboard a Chinese spacecraft. The move underscores Beijing’s growing influence over Islamabad’s space ambitions and raises questions about whether the indebted country can develop independent capabilities amid rising inflation and poverty.

Pakistan’s Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the country’s first astronaut will undertake a space mission from the Chinese space center on November 25, according to Dawn.

The planning minister also outlined Pakistan’s goal of landing on the moon by 2035 and expressed hope that its partnership with China would boost the country’s space exploration ambitions.

However, the mission will rely heavily on Chinese infrastructure, technology and expertise.

The astronaut will fly aboard a Chinese spacecraft launched from a Chinese facility after undergoing training with Chinese instructors, the report said.

The selected candidate will serve as a “payload specialist,” focusing on conducting science experiments in orbit rather than piloting the spacecraft, according to the report.

A SUPARCO official quoted by Reuters also said the astronaut is expected to communicate in Mandarin while in space.

The mission marks a milestone for Pakistan’s space program, but also highlights the extent to which its ambitions are tied to Beijing’s technological capabilities.

China holds the key to Pakistan’s first manned space flight

Pakistan’s planned human spaceflight is the latest development in a space partnership with China that dates back to 1990, when the two countries’ cooperation included the launch of Pakistan’s Badr-I experimental satellite, Space Cluster reports.

Over the decades, Beijing has helped Islamabad expand its satellite capabilities and supported communications and Earth observation missions, including the Paksat, Paksat-1R, Paksat MM1 and PRSS-1 series.

In 2024, Pakistan’s lunar CubeSat ICUBE-Q traveled aboard China’s Chang’e-6 mission, which brought back samples from the far side of the Moon.

Can Pakistan achieve moon landing by 2035?

Iqbal expressed confidence that cooperation with China will help the country advance its space program.

Islamabad also plans to contribute a Pakistani-made lunar rover to China’s Chang-e-8 mission, expected around 2028.

The project could provide Pakistan with an opportunity to demonstrate its domestic engineering capabilities while participating in China’s lunar exploration program, the report said.

Space ambitions versus economic reality

Pakistan’s space ambitions come against a backdrop of persistent economic problems, including high public debt, poverty and dependence on external financial aid.

Although recent stabilization efforts and support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have helped address some immediate pressures, the country continues to face structural weaknesses that constrain public spending and long-term investment.

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Pakistan’s headline inflation rose to 7.1%, according to government data, while national poverty was estimated at 28.9%, affecting about 70 million people, an ANI report said.