Islamabad:
In an important step which marks a new chapter in the scientific evolution of Pakistan, the nation is preparing to send its very first astronaut in space – an achievement once seemed a distant dream, now turning into a tangible reality.
With ink freshly dried on a historic cooperation agreement between the National Space Agency of Pakistan, Suparco and China Agency Manined Space Agency (CMSA), the countdown started for a historic trip to the Chinese space station (CSS), Tiangong.
Under this agreement, two Pakistani astronauts will undergo rigorous training at the center of the astronauts of China. One of them will finally be chosen as a scientific specialist in the payload, responsible for conducting advanced research aboard the CSS.
The selection process, planned for completion by 2026, will lead to the astronaut joining one of the next Chinese missions. The meaning of this company extends far beyond the symbolic realization of a Pakistanis in space.
The mission of the astronaut aboard the CSS will include advanced scientific experiences in biology, fluid mechanics, medical sciences, material studies, spatial radiation and more areas with large -scale implications for life on earth.
The Chinese station is equipped with advanced research modules which offer a unique microgravity environment, allowing scientists to conduct studies impossible to reproduce on earth.
“This agreement is a benchmark in the space trip of Pakistan,” said the president of the Research Commission for the Atmosphere of Space and the High Atmosphere (Suparco), Mohammad Yousuf Khan. “This reflects our perseverance, our adaptability and our technological progress that we have made in recent years.”
