Focus on capacity-building of young scientists stressed

Space technology applications offer great potential for

socio-economic development of nations: Mamnoon

Islamabad

Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco), in collaboration with Institute of Space Technology (IST) Islamabad, hosted the inauguration ceremony of 2nd International Conference on Space 2016 at OIC Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (Comstech) Secretariat, Islamabad on Tuesday.

Inter Islamic Network on Space Sciences and Technology (ISNET) is the co-sponsor of the conference. President Mamnoon Hussain was the chief guest of the occasion.

Eminent experts of different faculties of space sciences and technologies from Canada, China, Croatia, Egypt, France, Germany, Hongkong, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Malaysia, Netherlands, Senegal, Sudan, South Africa, Turkey, USA and many more attended the event.

In his speech, the president said that in recent years there has been enormous development in the space sector. Space technology and its applications are being pursued vigorously by a large number of nations in all areas of human endeavour having direct impact on social development, economy and security. There is a general consensus that space technology applications offer a great potential for socio-economic development of the nations.

“The benefits of space research have a great relevance for developing countries in particular. Space applications play a vital role in better management of national resources, food security, weather forecasting, disaster management and modern day communication. Therefore it goes without saying that effective use of space technology is vital for national development. Pakistan is a developing country and is striving to improve living standards of her masses. In this regard it is utilizing space technology in various sectors such as communication, agriculture, infrastructure development, environmental monitoring, hazards warning and education. I am also pleased to inform this eminent gathering that space technology is being actively used in the planning and monitoring of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects,” he said.

The president said that Pakistan is among very few countries that have ratified all the five United Nations space treaties, and is committed to upholding the cause of peaceful and sustainable uses of outer space in cooperation and collaboration with all the nations of the world. Therefore, Pakistan attaches great importance to international and regional cooperation in the field of space science and technology for the betterment of human kind and expanding the horizons of knowledge in this field.

“I strongly believe that international and regional space cooperation can provide opportunities to developing countries to achieve socio-economic development in a shortest span of time by optimizing the use of limited resources. Our ongoing cooperation and collaboration with international and regional agencies such as United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS), Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO), COSPAS Search & Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking (COSPAS SARSAT), Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF), and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in the areas of space science and technology is a testimony to the values we attach to collaboration and knowledge-sharing in this important sector,” the president said.

President Mamnoon Hussain said that Suparco, the national space agency of Pakistan is pursuing a programmatic space science, technology and applications program with ultimate aim of maximizing the benefits of this technology for the socio-economic development and uplift of the country. Suparco is already operating PAKSAT 1R communication satellite, which is being used to provide services to both domestic and international users. It is inspiring to know that majority of the national TV channels are using our own satellite PAKSAT 1R. I am also pleased to inform that Suparco would be launching Pakistan’s first remote sensing satellite in March 2018 with the help of China with the ultimate aim of giving a boost to the national developmental activities.

After the inauguration, 15 papers and a number of keynote speeches were made including “China’s space Activities” by Secretary General Tian Yulong from Chinese National Space Agency (CNSA), “Harnessing Space Applications Benefits” by Director General Malaysian Space Agency (ANGKASA) Dr. NoorDin Bin Ahmed, ‘Turkish Space Operations- Past, Present and Future’ by Consultant TUBITAK UZAY, Dr Serhend Arvas and a note on ‘Pak China Space Cooperation’ by Fu Zhiheng, Vice President Chinese Great Wall Industry Cooperation.

In the upcoming sessions, 34 scientific papers will be presented on the 2nd day of the conference by national and international participants.

First Muslim Astronaut (Malaysian), Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Al Masrie bin Shiekh Mustapha will visit Pakistan for the first time for ICS 2016 and share his experience with the Pakistani audience. A Pakistani, Reginald Foulds, selected for one way Mars Mission called “Mars One Mission” will also talk about his experiences.

Earlier, in the welcoming address, Suparco Chairman Qaisar Anees Khurram highlighted the importance of space for the national development and said that space technology and its applications are playing a pivotal role in achieving national development goals worldwide. He said “Although late, developing countries have realized the significance of the use of space-based technologies in a number of ways. Over the years, research and engineering advances in space technologies have paved the way for groundbreaking inventions in a host of other fields of scientific and technological endeavours.”