Islamabad Museum unveils space gallery showcasing Pakistan's missions

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's national space agency has opened a new gallery dedicated to space science at the Pakistan Museum of Natural History in Islamabad, part of an effort to build public awareness of space exploration and the country's own space programs.

The Space Gallery is a joint project between the Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, known as SUPARCO, and the Pakistan Science Foundation. Officials said the partnership is aimed at strengthening science awareness across the country.

Muhammad Imran, a geologist at the Pakistan Museum of Natural History, told Pakistan TV Digital that the gallery was designed to educate visitors on multiple aspects of space, including how the universe formed and where Pakistan stands in space research.

"The purpose of our newly space gallery, which is a collaboration of SUPARCO and Pakistan Museum of Natural History, is to give the awareness to the people about the different space aspects, how the space formed, and what Pakistan is doing in our space, what are our space programs, how we are progressing towards to keep Pakistan up to the level, which could be considered among the developed countries of the world," Imran said.

The gallery features displays on satellites, rockets and Pakistan's space missions, giving visitors a look at the country's progress in the sector. Officials said they hope the exhibits will encourage more young people to pursue careers in science.

Afaq Ahmed, a student who toured the gallery, told Pakistan TV Digital that seeing the exhibits in person made a strong impression.

"We often read things but cannot see them physically, cannot do physical experiments with such things. So, this is the first time we have seen all these things. It is very good. We have learned a lot," Ahmed said.

Museum officials said they plan to expand access to space education for the general public, with the gallery serving as a starting point for broader outreach efforts.

The opening comes as SUPARCO continues to promote its satellite and space research programs, which officials describe as central to Pakistan's ambitions in science and technology.