China to send Pakistani astronaut on short-term space mission

BEIJING: China has announced its plan to send a Pakistani astronaut on a short-term mission as a payload expert at its space station, state-run Xinhua News reported on Thursday, citing the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

Addressing a press conference, CMSA officials said that two Pakistani astronauts will receive training alongside Chinese astronauts, and one of them will be selected.

The astronaut from Pakistan will be arranged to participate in a short-duration spaceflight mission as a “payload specialist”.

Xinhua News further reported that the arrangement for the astronaut was according to the medium-term planning and cooperation framework of China’s space station mission.

During the mission, the astronaut will not only participate in the crew’s routine work but will also conduct experiments on behalf of Pakistan.

The CMSA spokesperson further stated that the initial stage of the astronaut selection process is currently being conducted in Pakistan, while the final selection and training will take place in China.

Preparations for the secondary selection phase are already underway, including training programs, instructional materials, equipment setup, and logistical arrangements for the astronauts’ daily needs during the training period.

Under the bilateral cooperation plan, one Pakistani astronaut will ultimately be chosen for the mission, he said.