Pakistan heads to Moon with China’s help; Jinnah-1 rover to study lunar south pole where Chandrayaan-3 landed 3 years ago

Pakistan has reportedly named its first lunar rover Jinnah-1, taking another step towards its planned participation in a Moon mission scheduled for 2029. The rover, developed by the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco), is expected to travel aboard China’s Chang’e-8 mission and carry out scientific work near the lunar south pole.

Suparco announced the name on Thursday after conducting a nationwide competition that attracted around 4,000 entries. Seven people had suggested the name Jinnah-1, with the final winner selected through a lucky draw.

The winning entry came from 17-year-old Tayyab Karim of Bahawalnagar, who proposed naming the rover after Pakistan’s founder, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

What will Pakistan’s Jinnah-1 rover do?

Jinnah-1 will be tasked with studying several aspects of the lunar environment, with a particular focus on the Moon’s south polar region. Its planned work includes examining the surface, radiation and plasma, while also conducting experiments that could contribute to future lunar exploration.

Suparco said the name Jinnah-1 reflects Pakistan’s “resolve, progress and new space horizons” and honours the country’s founder.

Pakistan’s space agency announced its partnership with China’s Chang’e-8 mission in 2024. The collaboration is expected to give Pakistani engineers an opportunity to operate an indigenous rover on the lunar surface as part of a wider international exploration effort.

What is known about Jinnah-1?

The rover is being developed by Suparco engineers and is expected to weigh approximately 35 kg. Its reported equipment includes a Terrain Testing Instrument, or TTI, designed to examine the characteristics of lunar soil, along with instruments for measuring radiation and plasma.

Jinnah-1 is expected to study the composition of lunar soil, examine the surface environment and gather data on radiation and plasma. It will also map parts of the lunar terrain and test technologies that could be useful for future missions.

The rover will be carried to the Moon by China’s Chang’e-8 spacecraft and is expected to operate around the lunar south pole. China is providing the lander, while Pakistani specialists are expected to control the rover once it reaches the surface.

The launch is currently planned for 2029, although previous plans had pointed to 2028.

Chang’e-8 itself is intended to go beyond simply studying the Moon. The mission is also expected to test the use of lunar regolith for 3D printing, an experiment linked to possible construction techniques for future lunar bases.

The mission is being planned as an international effort, with 11 countries and regions expected to participate, including Russia, Türkiye, South Africa and Italy.

Why is the Moon’s south pole important?

The lunar south pole has emerged as one of the most closely watched areas in the new phase of Moon exploration. Much of the region remains difficult to explore because of its challenging terrain, while some permanently shadowed areas are believed to have the potential to contain water ice.

The possibility of finding and studying such resources has made the region important for future lunar science and human exploration plans.

China’s Chang’e programme is among the major international efforts focused on the Moon, with Chang’e-8 forming part of the country’s longer-term lunar exploration plans.

The United States is also targeting the lunar south pole through its Artemis programme, with NASA planning missions involving the region and targeting 2028 for an astronaut landing there as part of Artemis IV.

India has already landed near the lunar south pole

Pakistan’s announcement comes nearly three years after India achieved a major milestone in lunar exploration with Chandrayaan-3.

India successfully landed Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon on August 23, 2023, making it the first country to land near the lunar south polar region. The mission deployed the Pragyan rover, which carried out experiments and sent scientific information from the lunar surface during its planned operational period.

The achievement came after India’s Chandrayaan-2 mission failed to complete its landing attempt in 2019, when communication with the Vikram lander was lost during the final descent.

India’s success also followed the crash of Russia’s Luna-25 spacecraft while it was attempting to land in the same broad region.

With Jinnah-1 now planned to travel on Chang’e-8, Pakistan is preparing to join the growing international effort to study the Moon’s south polar environment and develop technologies for future lunar exploration.