Pakistan, China agree to fly 1st foreign astronaut to Chinese space station
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China have made a groundbreaking agreement to send a Pakistani astronaut to the Chinese Tiangong Space Station, marking the first instance of China offering astronaut training to individuals from another country.
The “Cooperation Agreement on the Selection, Training of Pakistani Astronauts and Participation in China’s Space Station Flight Mission” was signed on February 28 by representatives from China’s Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSE) and Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) in Islamabad.
The agreement was signed by CMSE Deputy Director Lin Xiqiang and SUPARCO Chairman Mohammad Yousaf Khan, which sets the stage for the selection of a Pakistani astronaut.
The astronaut selection process is anticipated to take about a year, followed by training in China. Once trained, astronauts from Pakistan and China will embark on various short-term missions aboard the Tiangong space station in the coming years.
The Tiangong Space Station, operational since 2022, orbits Earth at an altitude of 217 to 280 miles (340 to 450 kilometers). This agreement marks a key milestone in global space exploration collaboration, with Pakistan becoming the first nation to send an astronaut to China’s space station.
