Can Pakistan Afford a Moon Mission by 2035?

KHUSHI KUMARI

Image Source: GOOGLE IMAGES

Minister Ahsan Iqbal declared Pakistan’s goal to land a spacecraft on the Moon by 2035. But the big question remains: is it financially possible

A lunar landing mission can cost between $1–3 billion. For comparison, India’s Chandrayaan-3 cost about $75 million—achieved with ISRO’s vast expertise

Pakistan is under IMF loan pressure, facing $130 billion in external debt. Frequent fuel shortages and inflation plague the economy

Post Operation Sindoor, Pakistan suffered major military losses, damaged assets, and global diplomatic pressure, costing hundreds of millions and worsening its fragile economy

Pakistan’s space agency SUPARCO lacks independent launch capabilities. Its most recent satellites were launched via Chinese rockets

With citizens struggling for food, power, and healthcare, critics call the Moon plan a diversion from real issues

ISRO has decades of experience and a frugal, high-output model. Pakistan has no history of deep space missions or lunar tech

The 2035 Moon mission may be more political posturing than a practical goal—unless priorities and resources drastically shift