ISLAMABAD: On Wednesday, China started selecting Pakistani astronauts after a historic agreement with Islamabad earlier this year. The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) confirmed that the selection process is officially underway.
According to CMSA spokesperson Lin Xiqiang, the astronaut selection process mirrors China’s own stringent system and will proceed in three stages: initial screening, secondary evaluation, and final selection. The preliminary phase is currently being conducted in Pakistan, while the remaining two stages will be held in China.
Lin, responding to a question by the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) during a press conference at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, revealed that ultimately, two Pakistani astronauts will be chosen to undergo specialized training in China.
As per mission plans for the China Space Station, one of these astronauts will take part in a joint spaceflight mission as a payload specialist. Their responsibilities will go beyond daily operations on board, including conducting scientific experiments designed by Pakistan.
Strategic Partnership Strengthens Space Collaboration
China is also engaging in talks with other nations for potential astronaut collaborations on upcoming China Space Station missions, with further announcements expected in the near future.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has expressed a strong desire to deepen its collaboration with China in space and satellite technology. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during a meeting in Islamabad with a visiting delegation from China’s Galaxy Space, emphasized Pakistan’s commitment to expanding bilateral ties in areas such as space satellites, telecommunications, and satellite-based internet.
The Chinese delegation, led by Galaxy Space Chairman Xu Ming, discussed potential investments and joint ventures in Pakistan’s space technology sector. They also noted productive discussions with the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication and Pakistan’s national space agency, SUPARCO.
Federal Ministers Ahad Khan Cheema and Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Advisor to PM Dr. Tauqir Shah, and other senior government officials were also present at the meeting, reflecting the high level of importance Pakistan attaches to its space ambitions.
With the Pakistan-China space collaboration in its commencement phase, the partnership is expected to bolster a new era of strategic and scientific partnership between the two countries.
