Pakistan’s first astronaut will embark on a historic space mission on November 25, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal has announced.
According to Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistan has also set a target of landing on the Moon by 2035.
The proposed human spaceflight mission is part of Pakistan’s broader space cooperation with China.
Two Pakistani pilots, Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Dawood, received training at the China Astronaut Research and Training Centre in Beijing.
The two pilots were selected from a pool of around 20 candidates. Their training included Chinese language instruction, spacecraft systems and preparation for low gravity and the intense forces experienced during spaceflight.
One of the two pilots will become Pakistan’s first astronaut and the first foreign astronaut to travel to China’s Tiangong space station.
Leave a Reply