Pakistan Names Its First Lunar Rover “Jinnah-1” Ahead of 2029 Moon Mission
ISLAMABAD: The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) has officially named the Pakistan’s first lunar rover “Jinnah-1”.The name was selected after a national competition where more than 4,000 suggestions were received from all over the country,
SUPARCO said. Seven entries received the winning title ‘Jinnah-1′, and 17-year-old Tayyab Karim of Bahawalnagar got the lucky draw while being the official winner.
The Chairman of SUPARCO, while addressing the unveiling ceremony, said that the naming of the rover in the memory of the founder of Pakistan, Quaid e Azam, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, is a befitting tribute to his name and signifies the determination, development and entry of Pakistan in new space horizons.In 2029, the Moon’s Chang’e-8 mission will take off for the south pole, where SUPARCO’s ‘Jinnah-1’ will follow in its wake. The name of the first-ever lunar rover developed by Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) is “Jinnah-1”.SUPARCO said the name was picked in a nationwide competition in which more than 4,000 ideas were submitted from people all over the nation. Then seven people presented the winning title “Jinnah-1” and 17 year old Tayyab Karim of Bahawalnagar was selected by lucky draw as the official winner. Speaking in the unveiling ceremony, the Chairman of SUPARCO said that the fact that the rover has been named in honor of the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, was a testimony to the legacy of the man and his commitment, development and entry in new space horizons.The “Jinnah-1” satellite will be launched in the lunar mission Chang’e-8 to the Moon’s south pole in 2029, SUPARCO confirmed.
The development of the rover has been undertaken indigenously and it will investigate the plasma environment.