Beijeing: Two Pakistani astronauts will undergo training in China, and they are expected to join a future mission aboard the Tiangong Space Station, the Chinese Transmission Space Agency (CMSA) confirmed on Wednesday.
The development follows a bilateral agreement signed at the end of February between China and Pakistan. CMSA said the selection process for Pakistani astronauts has already begun.
“According to the strict criteria used for the selection of Chinese astronauts, a three -stage process (preliminary, secondary and final) will rule the selection of candidates,” said CMSA spokesman, Lin Xiqiang, at a press conference.
Lin added that a Pakistani astronaut will join the mission as a specialist in payload and perform scientific experiments for Pakistan, in addition to the standard crew tasks.
The space agency says that the selection process for the specialist in pay -ups has begun
The announcement occurred along with China’s confirmation of its latest manned space flight. The Shenzhou-20 mission is scheduled to launch at 5:17 PM on Thursday from Jiuquan’s satellite launch center, Lin said.
Leading the mission will be Chen Dong, a 46 -year -old veteran astronaut and former combat pilot who, in 2022, became the first Chinese astronaut to spend more than 200 cumulative days in orbit.
“Each space trip is very unique, so I hope to generate more experience and advances on the flight,” said Chen, who is embarking on his third space flight.
Chen, Chen Zhongrui, 40, a former air force pilot, and Wang Jie, 35, a former space technology engineer for the first time.
The current crew on board Tiangong is expected to return to Earth on April 29 after completing delivery procedures with the Shenzhou-20 team, according to Mr. Lin.
The Shenzhou-20 crew will carry out scientific experiments in Physics and Life Sciences and install spatial debris protective equipment.
China has been forbidden to participate in the International Space Station since 2011, when NASA prohibited NASA from collaborating with Chinese space agencies. Since then, Beijing has tried to build associations with other countries, including Pakistan, in its expansion space program.
Posted in Dawn, April 24, 2025
