Practice modes
Languages & Literature
Pakistan
World & History
The planets, famous space missions, and Pakistan's satellites.
25 of 25 space & the solar system
A star at the centre of the solar system
A ball of hot hydrogen and helium powered by nuclear fusion. It holds about 99.8% of the solar system's mass. Its light takes about 8 minutes 20 seconds to reach Earth.
Earth's only natural satellite
About 384,400 km away. It always shows the same face to Earth and causes the ocean tides. Neil Armstrong was the first person to walk on it (1969).
Smallest planet, closest to the Sun
Has almost no atmosphere, so it is very hot by day and very cold at night. A year lasts only 88 Earth days.
Hottest planet
A thick carbon dioxide atmosphere traps heat, making it hotter than Mercury (about 465 °C). It spins backwards and is the brightest planet in our sky, the 'morning' and 'evening star'.
The only known planet with life
About 71% of its surface is covered by water. It takes about 365.25 days to orbit the Sun, which is why we have leap years.
The 'Red Planet'
Iron oxide (rust) in its soil makes it red. Home to Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system. Several rovers, including NASA's Perseverance, explore it.
Largest planet
A gas giant more than 11 times wider than Earth. Its Great Red Spot is a giant storm. Ganymede, one of its moons, is the largest moon in the solar system.
Planet with the most famous rings
A gas giant with bright rings made of ice and rock. It is so light it would float in water. Titan, its largest moon, has a thick atmosphere.
The planet that spins on its side
An ice giant tilted about 98°, so it rolls around the Sun on its side. Discovered by William Herschel in 1781, the first planet found with a telescope.
Farthest planet from the Sun
An ice giant with the fastest winds in the solar system. It was found in 1846 by mathematical prediction before it was seen. Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006.
First artificial satellite (USSR, 1957)
Launched on 4 October 1957 by the Soviet Union, starting the space race. Laika the dog flew on Sputnik 2 a month later.
First human in space (USSR, 1961)
Yuri Gagarin orbited Earth once on 12 April 1961. Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space in 1963.
First Moon landing (USA, 1969)
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon on 20 July 1969 while Michael Collins orbited above. Armstrong: 'That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.'
Farthest human-made objects (USA, 1977)
Launched in 1977 to study the outer planets; Voyager 1 entered interstellar space in 2012. Each carries a 'Golden Record' of sounds and images from Earth.
Space telescope (NASA/ESA, 1990)
Orbits above the atmosphere for sharp images; it helped measure the age of the universe (about 13.8 billion years).
Orbiting laboratory (since 1998)
Built by the USA, Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada; continuously crewed since November 2000. It orbits about 400 km up, circling Earth about every 90 minutes.
Infrared space telescope (2021)
The largest space telescope, launched on 25 December 2021, sees the earliest galaxies using infrared light. It sits about 1.5 million km from Earth.
India's Moon landing (2023)
Landed near the Moon's south pole on 23 August 2023, making India the fourth country to soft-land on the Moon, after the USSR, USA and China.
First samples from the Moon's far side (China, 2024)
Brought back the first rock samples from the far side of the Moon in June 2024. It carried Pakistan's iCube-Qamar satellite into lunar orbit.
Pakistan's space agency (1961)
The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission was founded in 1961, with Dr Abdus Salam's support. It is based in Karachi and launched Rehbar-I in 1962.
Pakistan's first satellite (1990)
A small experimental satellite designed and built by SUPARCO engineers and launched from China on 16 July 1990, Pakistan's first locally developed satellite. Badr-B followed in 2001.
Communication satellite (2011)
Built and launched by China in August 2011; provides TV broadcasting, internet and communication services across Pakistan and the region.
Pakistan's first remote-sensing satellite (2018)
An Earth-observation satellite launched from China in July 2018 to map land, crops, cities and disasters. PakTES-1A, a smaller satellite largely built in Pakistan, launched with it.
Pakistan's first lunar mission (2024)
A small CubeSat made by the Institute of Space Technology, Islamabad, with help from China; it reached lunar orbit aboard Chang'e-6 and sent back images of the Moon.
Multi-mission communication satellite (2024)
Launched from China on 30 May 2024 to expand internet, broadband and broadcasting services across Pakistan.
Ready to test yourself?
Practise Everyday Science MCQs