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Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission
خلائی و بالائے فضائی تحقیقاتی مأموریہ
SUPARCO complex in Karachi, Sindh
Agency overview
AbbreviationSUPARCO
FormedCommittee: 1961 - Karachi Commission: 1981
TypeSpace agency
StatusActive
HeadquartersIslamabad-45900, Pakistan
Chairman
Muhammad Yusuf Khan[1]
Key people
Primary spaceportSonmiani FTR
OwnerNational Command Authority (NCA)
EmployeesClassified
Annual budgetIncrease Rs. 7.3951 billion (US$25.61 million)[2]
(2022–23)
Websitesuparco.gov.pk

The Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission,[a] commonly referred to as SUPARCO, is the national space agency of Pakistan.[3]

The agency, originally established in 1961 as a committee in Karachi, became an independent commission in 1981.[4] Its initial objective was to learn rocketry and high altitude research from the United States, which ultimately led to the development of a national satellite program.[5] This culminated in the successful launch of Pakistan's first satellite from China in 1990.[6][7] The agency was also an early participant in the rocket development program launched by the Ministry of Defence of Pakistan.[7]

The agency leads the National Space Program (NSP) and maintains the orbital operations of its satellites with support facilities throughout the country.[8][9] The agency has sustained significant criticism within Pakistan for failing to compete with its Indian and Chinese counterparts in terms of capabilities in spite of being established earlier than them.[10][11][12]

History

[edit]

Creation

[edit]
Main article: Executive Committee of the Space Research Council

The past federal ministries of Pakistan initially avoided to fund the space program and engineering education in spite of opportunity available from the United States.: 235 [13] The Punjab University was the only university that was undertaking the research in aeronautics in 1957; only after when the former Soviet Union launched its first satellite in space, the Sputnik 1.[14]

It was during the development of Apollo program in 1961 when Abdus Salam found an opportunity for Pakistan to start its space program with the foreign funding coming from the United States.[15] The American NASA was embarking the Apollo program in a competition with Soviet space program had realize the need of scientific data in upper atmosphere and therefore, invited India and Pakistan (bordering nations of the Indian Ocean) to join the studies and experimentations.[15] Initially, the engineers from Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) were directed at the Wallops Flight Facility to learn the rocketry from the United States as Abdus Salam worked on approving to establishing a commission from Ayub administration.[15]

A commission to study the upper atmosphere and rocketry was established under Abdus Salam [16] and Ishrat Usmani [17] as its chairman with nuclear engineers from PAEC, Tariq Mustafa and Salim Mehmud, becoming its first members in 1961 through the "Space Sciences Research Wing" of PAEC.[18] The Commission was first in the Muslim world to start studies in establishing the space program, and was named as "Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission" to represent its purpose and mission on 16 September 1961.: 237 [13]

The Commission working under Abdus Salam was tasked with learning the rocket engineering, and contribution from France and the United States helped start this mission.: 238 [13] Foundation of the agency made Pakistan the first South Asian country to start a space program.[19][20] Furthermore, a Flight Test Range was established in Sonmiani which is 50 km (31 mi) west of Karachi, from where a program of sounding rocket launches was conducted based on the Nike-Ajax rockets followed by the Judi-Dart program. [15]

On 7 July 1962, the Commission launched the first rocket, known as "Rehbar-I", which reached the altitude of 80 mi (420,000 ft) in space..[15][21] The United States publicly supported and hailed the program as the beginning of "a program of continuous cooperation in space research of mutual interest."[22] Until 1972, the United States provided training on rocket engines at the Goddard Space Flight Center.[22] The ground stations for satellite navigation were set-up by the Commission in Karachi and Lahore in 1973, and were visited by the Apollo 17 astronauts.[12] In 1973, the Islamabad Ionospheric Station was established at the Quaid-e-Azam University and Landsat ground station was established near Lahore.[12]

Funding and Support

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Following the cessation of U.S. funding for upper atmosphere research in 1972 and the prioritization of nuclear weapons programs after the 1971 war with India, SUPARCO experienced a significant decline in funding and support. Engineers with backgrounds in nuclear engineering were transferred to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, and the Pakistan Air Force's support for the Rehbar program also ceased.[12]

Inspired by India's launch of its first satellite in 1975, SUPARCO began lobbying for Pakistan's own satellite program. In 1981, the Commission was reorganized as an independent federal agency. During the same period, a communication satellite project called PakSAT was initiated. Collaborations with the Pakistan Radio Society (PRS) and the University of Surrey in England enabled SUPARCO to participate in satellite engineering projects, contributing to the development of UoSAT-1 and UO-11, which were launched in 1984.[23][24]

Pakistan's communication satellite program also led to the expansion of a ground station in Lahore in 1983. SUPARCO began constructing its first satellite, Badr-1, in 1983, and it was eventually launched by China in 1990 after negotiations with the United States failed.[25]

SUPARCO continued its collaboration with the United Kingdom, developing the Badr-B satellite in partnership with the British Rutherford Laboratory. However, due to orbital crises and funding constraints, Badr-B was not launched until 2001 by Russia.[26]

Gen Zia's decision to delay the PakSAT project in 1984, citing a lack of funds, led to a significant setback for SUPARCO. This ultimately resulted in the loss of two orbital slots between 1993 and 1994.[12] To secure a priority slot, the agency negotiated with Hughes Satellite Systems to acquire PakSAT-1, a geo-stationary satellite originally intended for Indonesia.[12]

Functions

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As per the National Space Policy of Pakistan approved in 2024, SUPARCO as the National Space Agency is mandated to carry out all activities related to outer space which includes but not limited to the following: [27]

  1. Policy Development: Formulate national space policies and legislation to comply with international obligations and establish guidelines for the space sector.
  2. Program Management: Plan, manage, and execute the National Space Program, encompassing space science, technology, and applications.
  3. Space Infrastructure: Design, develop, launch, and operate satellites, ground control infrastructure, space transportation systems, launch facilities, navigation systems, and tracking observatories.
  4. National Register: Maintain a register of space objects launched by Pakistan and submit information to the United Nations.
  5. Commercialization: Promote the commercial exploitation of space capabilities, technologies, and applications.
  6. Private Sector Engagement: Encourage private sector involvement in space activities.
  7. International Cooperation: Coordinate with international space organizations and agencies, and represent Pakistan in relevant forums.

Projects

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Satellite Programs

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Badr

[edit]
Badr Program
Satellite Mass and weight Satellite by type Launch agency Launch site Status Launch date Remarks and notes
Badr-1 52 kg (115 lb) Communications CASC Xichang in China Inactive 16 July 1990 (1990-07-16) Built in coordinate with University of Surrey
Badr-B 68.5 kg (151 lb) Earth observation Roscosmos Baikonur in Kazakhstan Inactive 12 December 2001 (2001-12-12) Built in coordination with Rutherford Laboratory.

PakSAT

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The PakSAT program is the national communication satellites program of the commission conceived in 1979–80.: 21–22 [28] The program is envisioned to consist of two geostationary communication satellites – one operating in 38°E orbit and other at 41°E, respectively.: 24 [28]

The PakSAT program was originally designed to develop the television receive-only (TVRO) terminals for the receptions of news, entertainment, and educational channels from direct broadcasting satellite dishes.[29]

PakSAT Program[30]
Satellite Mass and weight Satellite by type Launch agency Launch site Status Launch date Remarks and notes
PakSAT-1E 3,000 kg (6,600 lb) GEO Hughes Cape Canaveral in United States Inactive 1 February 1996 (1996-02-01) Built and owned by the Boeing.
PakSAT-1R 5,515 kg (12,158 lb) GEO CASC Xichang Active 11 August 2011 (2011-08-11) Built and manufactured by China with Chinese funding
PakSAT-MM1 4,137 kg (9,121 lb) GEO Hughes Cape Canaveral Inactive 5 March 2018 (2018-03-05) Built and manufactured by Boeing
PakSAT-MM1R 5,400 kg (11,900 lb) GEO CASC Xichang Active 30 May 2024 Built by CASC

Remote Sensing Satellites

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Pakistani Remote Sensing Satellites
Satellite Mass and weight Satellite by type Launch agency Launch site Status Launch date Remarks and notes
PakTES-1A 300 kg (660 lb) LEO CNSA Jiuquan Active 9 July 2018 (2018-07-09) Built and manufactured by SUPARCO
PRSS-1 300 kg (660 lb) LEO CNSA Jiuquan Active 9 July 2018 (2018-07-09) Jointly built and manufactured by China and Pakistan

CubeSats

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Pakistani CubeSats
Satellite Mass and weight Satellite by type Launch agency Launch site Status Launch date Remarks and notes
ICube-1 1.08 kg (2.4 lb) 1U CubeSat Kosmotras Dombarovsky 370/13 Inactive 21 November 2013 Built by IST
ICUBE-Q 9.0 kg (19.8 lb) Lunar Orbiter IST Wenchang Active 3 May 2024 Jointly built and manufactured by Institute of Space Technology, SUPARCO and Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Rocket Programs

[edit]
Main article: Chronology of Pakistan's rocket tests

Sounding Rockets

[edit]
Main article: Rehbar (rocket family)

Since 1961, the commission supported and led the early studies on solid-propellant rockets, which it succeeded in developing the Rehbar-I.[31] The Rehbar-I rocket was a derivative based on the U.S. Nike-Cajun, and continued its service until 1972.[3]

Hatf-I & Abdali

[edit]
Main articles: Hatf-I and Abdali-I

In 1987, the military funded the commission's design study on rocket engines for Hatf-I, which was completed with the Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), the national defense laboratory of the Ministry of Defence.[22] In 1995, the Commission designed the rocket engine for the Abdali project, which was completed in 2004.[22]

The Commission also conducted studies on rocket engines for the Shaheen program. [32]

Space Science and Astronomy

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Every year, SUPARCO sponsors and organizes the World Space Week (WSW) to promote the understanding of the Earth science all over the country.[33] SUPARCO works with a number of universities and research institutions to engage in research in observational astronomy and astrophysics.[34] The Institute of Space and Planetary Astrophysics (ISPA) of the Karachi University conducts key research and co-sponsors with international level research programs in astrophysics, with joint ventures of SUPARCO.[35]

SUPARCO operates a national balloon launching facility in Karachi to conduct studies in atmospheric sciences to determine the vertical profile of ozone up to 30–35 km.[36] This balloon sounding facility has been extensively used for carrying out research in better understanding of the meteorology and how the ozone layer vary seasonally in the stratosphere and troposphere.[36] The Ionospheric Station at Karachi operates a Lonosonde observation facility, and recently the balloon flight mission was carried out by the station on 16 January 2004, up to an altitude of about 36 km to measure the vertical profile of the O3 trends.[36] The maximum O3 observed 12.65 mPa at 27 km.[36] One of the most notable mission of SUPARCO is its Lunar program that conducts observational studies on the activity of Lunar phases and distributes its publications within the public domain.[37]

The SUPARCO Astrophysics program, is an active scientific mission of SUPARCO, dedicated for the development of space science.[38] The program's mainstream objective and aim is to conduct research studies for the advancement and better understanding of the theoretical physics, astronomy, astrophysics, and mathematics involving the three-dimensional universal space and time.[38]

SUPARCO's Space Program 2040, launched in 2012, incorporates astronomy and astrophysics research into a single program focused on theoretical and observational studies. This program explores vast topics like quantum mechanics, deep space objects, dark matter and energy, supernovae, nebulae, and galaxies. Aligned with Pakistan's official space policy, it also aims to strengthen public understanding of physics and mathematics through educational initiatives like academic bulletins and public events celebrating astronomy milestones. This program fosters collaboration with international space agencies and builds upon public interest sparked by SUPARCO's celebration of the International Year of Astronomy in 2009 which was widely appreciated by the public.[38][39]

Since its establishment, a total of nine important publications has been released under the auspicious of this program with the last volume was issued in September 2012.[40]

Space Weather Monitoring

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SUPARCO has been actively involved in space weather monitoring for over five decades, utilizing a nationwide network of ground-based sensors. As Pakistan's reliance on satellites for critical services like communication, navigation, and earth observation increases, SUPARCO has established the Pakistan Space Weather Center, which employs an array of instruments to observe space weather phenomena in real time. Processed data, including HF communication products, are then disseminated to relevant national users.[41]

SUPARCO initiated its Geomagnetic Field Monitoring Program in 1983 at the Sonmiani space facility, establishing a second observatory in Karachi in 2008. This program involves studying the Earth's magnetic field and its variations in the South Asian region using data collected from these observatories. The data is used to understand the Earth's magnetic environment and mitigate associated hazards.[42]

SUPARCO regularly publishes a public domain bulletin of geomagnetic data, which includes research on the effects of solar flares and severe magnetic storms recorded by the observatories.

Satellite Navigation Program

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SUPARCO has been a pivotal player in Pakistan's satellite navigation landscape. Its involvement extends to the entire spectrum of satellite navigation, encompassing the design and development of space, ground, and user segments.

It has established a Ground Based Augmentation System (GBAS) on a proof of concept basis to provide correction signals to authorized users. Additionally, SUPARCO has deployed a Space Based Augmentation System (SBAS) via PakSAT-MM1 to cater to the specific needs of aviation, marine, and land users who require high-integrity correction signals.

SUPARCO operates a Satellite Navigation Signal Monitoring facility that plays a crucial role in monitoring, archiving, and analyzing satellite navigation signals from various monitoring stations located across Pakistan. This facility fosters collaboration with national and international organizations involved in satellite navigation systems.[43]

International COSPAS-SARSAT Programme

[edit]
Pakistan Mission Control Center (PMCC) acts as the ground segment for the International Cospas-Sarsat Programme in the region.

Pakistan has been participating in a multinational humanitarian programme for satellite–aided search and rescue, the International Cospas-Sarsat Programme. In 1990, the Government of Pakistan accorded approval for SUPARCO's participation in the Cospas program as ground segment provider and lead space station with close coordination with the Soviet Union. Over the years, the mission control center has equipped itself with advanced technology and is capable of distributing distress alert data to rescue coordination centres in the country.[44]

Remote Sensing Program

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SUPARCO has been a pioneer in introducing Remote Sensing/GIS and allied technologies in Pakistan, providing turnkey solutions and services to diverse users across various fields. These applications range from agriculture and forestry to disaster management, water resources, environmental monitoring, urban planning, and coastal and marine studies. SUPARCO's expertise extends to climate change and environmental degradation, utilizing ground-based observations and satellite data for now-casting and forecasting environmental indicators in the atmosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, and hydrosphere. To support these endeavors, SUPARCO operates specialized centers and facilities, including environmental laboratories, mobile laboratories, a mathematical modeling center, and a microgravity experiments facility.[45]

Other Scientific programs

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Facilities

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SUPARCO, headquartered in Islamabad, maintains a network of key technical and support facilities across Pakistan. These facilities are strategically located in major cities to support the organization's various research and development activities. [3]

Ground Stations

[edit]
SUPARCO's Ground Stations
Facility Name Location Description Sources
Satellite Ground Station (SGS) Islamabad Used for acquiring satellite imagery from a number of Pakistani and foreign satellites [46]
Satellite Ground Station (SGS) Karachi — [3]
Pakistan Mission Control Center (PMCC) Karachi Ground segment for the International Cospas-Sarsat Programme [44]

Space Applications Centres

[edit]
Facility Name Location Description Sources
Space Application and Research Centre Islamabad (SPARC-I) Islamabad Space applications centre [47]
Space Application and Research Centre Karachi (SPARC-K) Karachi Space applications centre [47]
Space Application Center for Response in Emergency and Disasters (SACRED) Islamabad Space based technical support during natural disasters [48]
National Centre of GIS & Space Applications (NCGSA) Islamabad Formed by HEC with IST as its secretariat. The center comprises seven state-of-the-art research labs in seven partner higher education institutes of Pakistan.[49] [50]

Research and Development Centres

[edit]
R&D Centres
Facility Name Location Description Sources
Satellite Research and Development Complex (SRDC-L) Lahore Design and development of satellites [3]
Satellite Research and Development Complex (SRDC-K) Karachi Design and development of satellites [51]

Space Ports

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SUPARCO's Spaceports
Facility Name Location Description Sources
Sonmiani FTR Sonmiani It has previously launched sounding rockets. [52]

Human resource development

[edit]
Education and Training Institutes
Facility Name Location Description
SUPARCO Managed
Institute of Space Technology Islamabad Institute of Space Technology is a public sector university which offers degree programs in Aerospace Engineering, Communication systems engineering, Material Engineering, Space Sciences and Mechanical Engineering.
SUPARCO Institute of Technical Training (SITT) Karachi A technical training facility. SUPARCO Institute of Technical Training (SITT) offers diploma programs in Mechanical and Electronics Technology.
Others
Institute of Space and Planetary Astrophysics (ISPA) Karachi University ISPA is the nations leading and one of the oldest astronomical facility that was built and constructed by the United States. The ISPA is responsible for space and planetary science research.[34] A number of foreign scientists have used and research the ISPA facility where they published numerous articles in the field of space sciences.[53] The ISPA has also a powerful telescope and astronomical observatory which was last provided by the United States Government in the late 1950s.[34]
Department of Space Science University of Punjab The facility carries out a wide variety of research programs in the field of solar physics, plasma physics, astrophysics, remote sensing and planetary sciences.[34] The Department of Space Science has a small astronomical observatory. It is the oldest astronomical observatory in the country and has remained a center of learning for more than 75 years.
National Centre for Remote Sensing and Geo-informatics (NCRG) Institute of Space Technology, Karachi National Centre of Excellence in remote sensing [50]

International Cooperation

[edit]

SUPARCO, has consistently prioritized international cooperation as a central component of its space development program. The agency maintains active membership in several international organizations, institutes, scientific committees and United Nations bodies like UNCOPUOS, UN-SPIDER, UN-ESCAP, COSPAR, IAF, ISPRS, APSCO etc. This has fostered collaboration in scientific and technical information exchange, data sharing, joint projects, technology transfer, training, collaborative studies. SUPARCO has also entered into numerous bilateral and multilateral cooperation agreements and MoUs to facilitate space-related activities. Pakistan is a signatory to all five United Nations treaties governing the peaceful uses of outer space.[54][55]

Inter-Islamic Network on Space Sciences and Technology

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ISNET was established in 1987 by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) and SUPARCO hosted the founding meeting of the Network at Karachi. The secretariat of ISNET is located within SUPARCO and Chairman SUPARCO is the ex-officio President of ISNET.[54] ISNET has 17 member states and it organises different international conferences, seminars, workshops, training courses related to space science, technology and satellite application in different member states in which a number of scientists, engineers and researchers stake-holders participate.

China

[edit]

In August 2006, People's Republic of China signed an agreement with Pakistan to conduct joint research in space technology and committed to work with Pakistan to launch three Earth-weather satellites over the next five years.[56] In May 2007, China (as a strategic partner) publicly signed an agreement with Pakistan to enhance cooperation in the areas of space science and technology. The Pakistan-China bilateral cooperation in the space industry span a broad spectrum, including climate science, clean energy technologies, atmospheric and Earth sciences, and marine sciences. On the occasion of Chinese launch of PakSAT-1R, Pakistan's ambassador to China expressed the natural desire of Pakistan for China to send the first officially designated Pakistani astronaut to space aboard a Chinese spacecraft.[57] In cooperation with CNSA, Pakistan sent its first lunar orbiter mission called ICUBE-Q along with Chang'e 6.[58][59]

United Arab Emirates

[edit]

In 2019, the commission reached out to United Arab Emirates Space Agency to take part in the Global Space Congress for the first time held at Abu Dhabi, where they held an exhibition on their satellite-related projects.[60]

Turkey

[edit]

In December 2006, Turkey showed interest to form a joint-venture with Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization where Pakistan is a member.[61] In 2006, Turkish minister of science, accompanied by the Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan, signed the Memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Pakistan to form a joint-venture with Pakistan in the development of satellite technology.[61] The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey and Turkish Aerospace Industries's senior ranking officials and representative signed a separate accord with the SUPARCO to enhance the cooperation in the satellite development program.[61]

Leadership History

[edit]
# Name Term Started Term Ended Alma Mater Field(s) Educational Background
1. Dr Abdus Salam 1961 1967 Imperial College, London

University of the Punjab, Lahore

Theoretical Physics Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
2. Dr Ishrat Usmani (Co-Chairman) 1961 1967 Imperial College, London ICS PhD
3. Air Cdre. Turowicz 1967 1969 Warsaw University Aeronautical Engineering Graduate
4. Air Commodore K. M. Ahmad 1969 1973 Pakistan Air Force Academy Aeronautical Engineering Graduate
5. Salim Mehmud 1980 1989 Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education and Oak Ridge National Laboratory Nuclear Engineering, Electrical engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Electronics engineering Masters
6. Dr M. Shafi Ahmad 1989 1990 University of London Astronomy PhD
7. Engr. Sikandar Zaman 1990 1997 University of Michigan Mechanical / Aeronautical Engineering Masters
8. Dr Abdul Majid 1997 2001 University of Wales Astrophysics PhD
9. Major General Raza Hussain 2001 2010 Pakistan Army Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Electrical Engineering BS
10. Major General Ahmed Bilal 2010 2016 Pakistan Army Corps of Signals Engineering Computer Engineering Master of Science (MS)
11. Major General Qaiser Anees Khurram 2016 2018 Pakistan Army Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Mechanical Engineering BS
12. Major General Amer Nadeem 2018 2023 Pakistan Army Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Aeronautical Engineering BS
13. Muhammad Yusuf Khan 2023 2025 University of the Peshawar, Peshawar Master of Science MS

See also

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Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Urdu: خلائی و بالائ فضائی تحقیقاتی مأموریہ

References

[edit]
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  37. ^ See :Lunar prediction program
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  55. ^ APSCO Member States Archived 22 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
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  58. ^ Andrew Jones [@AJ_FI] (25 April 2023). "China's Chang'e-6 sample return mission (a first ever lunar far side sample-return) is scheduled to launch in May 2024, and expected to take 53 days from launch to return module touchdown. Targeting southern area of Apollo basin (~43º S, 154º W)" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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Sources

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