A Pakistani astronaut will soon be among the international crew members who go to the China Space Station, according to the Morted Space Agency of China (CMSA), marking a significant milestone in the Sino-Pakistani space cooperation.
The selection process for Pakistani astronauts is currently underway, after signing a bilateral cooperation agreement in February.
CMSA spokesman, Lin Xiqiang, said the process involves three stages: pre -eliminating selection in Pakistan and secondary and final stages in China. Ultimately, two astronauts will be trained, one selected to participate in a future spatial return as a specialist in payload.
The Pakistani astronaut will be responsible for both operational duties and scientific experiments during the mission, representing Pakistan aboard the Chinese Space Station Tiangong.
This announcement coincides with the preparations for the Shenzhou-20 mission, scheduled for launch at 5:17 pm local time on Thursday. The mission will take three Chinese astronauts: Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, for a six -month stay aboard Tiangong.
Shenzhou-20 will carry out spatial experiments and extravehicular activities, as well as an investigation in life sciences that involves the zebra fish, the planaries and streptomyces.
The outgoing team of Shenzhou-19 is scheduled to return to Earth on April 29, while the new team is expected to be expected in October.
China is also training its fourth lot of astronauts, even for the first time candidates from Hong Kong, Macao and Pakistan. Reports indicate that Hong Kong and Macao astronauts can fly in 2026.
CMSA officials say that discussions are ongoing with other nations about participating in future space missions, which reflects China’s growing impulse for international collaboration in space.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistan is anxious to improve cooperation with China in space technology fields, satellite communications and internet services.
The prime minister made the comments during a meeting with the delegation of the Chinese Space Technology Firm Galaxy Space, directed by President Xu Ming.
The prime minister described China as a “very reliable friend” and “strategic partner”, adding that Pakistan gives great importance to the growth of his sectors of space and telecommunications.
