SUPARCO

The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, known as SUPARCO, is the national space agency of Pakistan. It was originally established in 1961 as a committee in Karachi and became an independent commission in 1981, with an initial objective to study rocketry and high altitude research that eventually led to development of a national satellite programme, culminating in the launch of the first Pakistani satellite from China in 1990. SUPARCO also serves as the secretariat for the Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board, established in February 2024 under the National Command Authority to regulate space related activities across the country.