Pakistan’s first astronaut will embark on a space mission from China on November 25, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal announced on Sunday.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of World Space Week in Narowal, organised in collaboration with the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco), he also said Pakistan aims to achieve a lunar landing by 2035.
The astronaut will be selected from pilots Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud, whom China shortlisted in April for its human spaceflight programme. Both have been undergoing intensive training in Beijing.
A Suparco official said the Pakistani astronaut would serve as a payload specialist, conducting scientific experiments in space rather than piloting the spacecraft.
Iqbal expressed confidence that cooperation with China would help Pakistan advance its space exploration capabilities.
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