The cooperation between Pakistan and China in space technology has reached a new level as a Pakistani astronaut will soon be the first foreign astronaut to visit China’s space station on a joint manned spaceflight mission.
China’s Foreign Ministry has made the announcement that a Pakistani astronaut will fly on one of the upcoming human spaceflight missions of the country, according to the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan.
It will be the first time that Chinese and foreign astronauts have participated in a crewed space mission together, thus marking a historic milestone in the history of the Chinese space programme.
The Chinese Embassy called the statement a major development in the evergreen relationship of Pakistan and China. The development would help enhance bilateral relations and promote youth’s interest in science, technology and space exploration, it said.
The joint mission is also likely to create a new platform for cooperation between both nations in space technologies, as well as in scientific research and advanced scientific projects.
It points to closer cooperation between Islamabad and Beijing beyond the narrow confines of the conventional fields of cooperation, into the new scientific and technological areas.
The Chinese Embassy also posted pictures of the two Pakistani astronauts who were chosen for the significant mission to celebrate the occasion.
The development is expected to be a significant breakthrough in Pakistan’s space exploration efforts and will also provide valuable experience to the nation in human space flight.
It may also open new avenues for Pakistani scientists as well as budding astronauts and encourage the new generation to pursue scientific, engineering and space technology careers. The mission is expected to help build scientific relations between Pakistan and China further.
