Chronology of Pakistan's rocket tests

The Chronology of Pakistan's rocket tests entails the series of sounding rocket launches conducted by the Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) aimed at advancing Pakistan's space program. These launches were instrumental in developing high-altitude rockets, fostering scientific exploration, and providing invaluable data for research in physics and atmospheric sciences.

Commencing in 1962 and continuing until its partial termination in 1972, SUPARCO successfully launched over 200 sounding rockets. These missions were pivotal in studying the upper atmosphere, including investigations into temperature gradients, wind velocities, and atmospheric density. ^[1]

An important milestone in Pakistan's space exploration history was the successful launch of Rehbar-I, signifying the nation's pioneering role among developing countries, the Islamic world, and South Asia. Ranking third in Asia, this achievement underscored Pakistan's growing prominence in the field of space exploration.

Originally conceived as a SUPARCO initiative, the space mission program remains active to this day. Over time, various aerospace authorities and institutions, both domestically and through international collaborations, have assumed roles in advancing Pakistan's space capabilities. Since the late 1980s, the focus has shifted towards research and development, with an emphasis on ballistic missile testing alongside continued scientific exploration. ^[2]

Spaceflight by year

Rocket launch	Launch Date	Mission	Institutional authority	Launch Site	Outcomes	Derivatives
Rehbar-I	June 7, 1962; 14:45 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 1; Success	Nike-Cajun	^[3]
Rehbar-II	June 11, 1962; 14:50 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 1; Success	Nike-Cajun
Rehbar-3	March 18, 1964; 14:50 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 1; Success	Judi-Dart
Rehbar-4	January 12, 1966; 12:30 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi-Dart
Rehbar-5	January 26, 1966; 12:18 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi-Dart
Rehbar-6	February 16, 1966; 04:30 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi-Dart
Rehbar-7	January 26, 1966; 12:18 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi-Dart
Rehbar-15	May 3, 1967; 14:29 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 1; Success	Centaure
Shahpar-1	May 5, 1967; 14:29 GMT	Test Mission	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 1; Success	Dragon
Rehbar-16	May 7, 1967; 14:30 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 1; Success	Centaure
Rehbar-17	March 23, 1968; 19:04 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 1; Success	Centaure
Shahpar-2	March 29, 1968; 19:20 GMT	Test Mission	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 1; Success	Dragon
Rehbar-18	April 3, 1968; 05:38 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 1; Success	Centaure
Rehbar-19	February 9, 1969; 13:46 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Failure	Centaure
Rehbar-20	February 13, 1969; 13:48 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Failure	Centaure
Rehnuma-1	March 31, 1969; 14:18 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 1; Partial Success	Centaure
Rehnuma-2	June 16, 1969; 14:34 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi-Dart
Rehnuma-3	July 20, 1969; 14:30 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi-Dart
Rehnuma-4	July 30, 1969; 14:45 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi-Dart
Rehnuma-5	August 15, 1969; 14:30 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi-Dart
Rehnuma-6	September 10, 1969; 14:30 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi-Dart
Rehnuma-7	October 22, 1969; 13:50 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi-Dart
Rehnuma-8	November 19, 1969; 13:10 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi-Dart
Rehnuma-9	November 20, 1969; 13:50 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi-Dart
Rehnuma-10	December 17, 1969; 13:10 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi-Dart
Rehnuma-11	December 31, 1969; 13:50 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi-Dart
Judi-Dart 1	January 14, 1970; 13:00 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi-Dart
Judi-Dart 1	January 14, 1970; 15:15 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi-Dart
Judi-Dart 1	January 14, 1970; 14:00 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi-Dart
Judi-Dart 1	February 11, 1970; 13:30 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi-Dart
Judi-Dart 2	March 11, 1970; 14:30 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi-Dart
Judi-Dart 2	March 11, 1970; 14:30 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi-Dart
Rehbar 21	March 27, 1970; 00:00 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Nike-Cajun
Rehbar 22	March 28, 1970; 15:45 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Nike-Cajun
Judi-Dart 2	March 28, 1970; 00:00 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi-Dart
Judi-Dart 1	April 15, 1970; 14:45 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi Dart
Judi-Dart 1	April 15, 1970; 13:45 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi Dart
Judi-Dart 1	June 17, 1970; 14:50 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi Dart
Judi-Dart 1	July 15, 1970; 15:05 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi Dart
Judi-Dart 1	October 21, 1970; 15:45 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi Dart
Judi-Dart 1	November 25, 1970; 13:14 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 2; Success	Judi Dart
Judi-Dart 1	December 30, 1970; 14:50 GMT	Aeronomy	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 1; Success	Judi Dart
Rehbar-23	April 7, 1972; 14:20 GMT	Ionosphere Mission	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 1; Success	Centaure
Rehbar-24	April 8, 1972; 14:18 GMT	Ionosphere Mission	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 1; Success	Centaure
Shahpar-3	April 28, 1972; 00:18 GMT	Test Mission	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Level 1; Success	Centaure
Hatf-I	October 20, 1989; 00:00 GMT	Test Mission	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Success		^[4]
Abdali-I	March 3, 2007	Test mission	SUPARCO	Flight Test Range	Success		^[5]

References

^ Staff (2002-10-04). "Timeline: Pakistan's weapons development". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
^ "Pakistan Nuclear Chronology" (PDF). nti.org.
^ "Suparco". 2012-10-06. Archived from the original on 2012-10-06. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
^ "Hatf 1". Missile Threat. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
^ "Abdali (Hatf 2)". Missile Threat. Retrieved 2024-04-23.

External links

Astronautix: Pakistan

[1] Staff (2002-10-04). "Timeline: Pakistan's weapons development". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-04-23.

[2] "Pakistan Nuclear Chronology" (PDF). nti.org.

[3] "Suparco". 2012-10-06. Archived from the original on 2012-10-06. Retrieved 2024-04-23.

[4] "Hatf 1". Missile Threat. Retrieved 2024-04-23.

[5] "Abdali (Hatf 2)". Missile Threat. Retrieved 2024-04-23.

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