Three days after India launched its second moon exploration mission Chandryaan-2, Pakistan on Thursday announced that it aims to send its first astronaut into space by 2022 and will begin selecting candidates next year.
The announcement was made by Pakistan's Minister for Science & Technology, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, in a Twitter post.
"Proud to announce that selection process for the first Pakistani to be sent to Space shall begin from Feb 2020, fifty people will be shortlisted — list will then come down to 25 and in 2022 we will send our first person to space," Chaudhry said.
This will be the biggest space event of our history, he added.
Also Read: Replies to Pak minister's tweet announcing manned mission to space are hilarious
Chaudhry said the Pakistani Air Force will play a lead role in the selection process of the astronaut for the space mission.
"The Air force will be the custodian of the selection process. Globally pilots are selected for space missions," he was quoted as saying by the Dawn News website.
"Ten pilots will be trained and eventually one pilot will be sent to space," he said.
First indigenously-built satellite launched last year
It is worth mentioning that Pakistan does not have the capability to even launch a satellite into space on its own. Pakistan's National Space Agency SUPARCO (Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission), which was established in 1961, launched its first communication satellite last later with help from a subsidiary of China Aerospace and Technology Corporation.
Pakistan used a Chinese launch vehicle to send two indigenously-built satellites into the orbit. The satellites were launched onboard the Chinese Long March (LM-2C) rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre located at the Gobi desert, China, The Express Tribune reported.
One of them was a remote sensing satellite (PRSS1) a dual-purpose Earth observational and optical satellite.
The second test satellite launched was a PAK-TES-1A to enhance satellite manufacture capabilities in the country.
Trying to match India?
This announcement by the minister of the Imran Khan government came as India on Monday successfully launched its second lunar mission Chandrayaan-2 on July 22. India aims to launch Gaganyaan, its manned mission to space, by 2022.
In his Independence Day address last year, Prime Minister Modi had announced that the mission would be undertaken by 2022 using ISRO's own capabilities.
Gearing up for the mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has set up a Human Space Flight Centre to facilitate the manned voyage involving a three-member crew. It has also signed a contract with a Russian company for selection support, medical examination and space training of Indian astronauts for
'Gaganyaan' is set for December 2021 launch and is likely to include a woman astronaut, ISRO Chairman K Sivan had said earlier.
The initial training would be in the country but advanced training might be abroad, maybe in Russia, he said.
ISRO had in May signed an MoU with the Indian Air Force for cooperation in crew selection and training for the Gaganyaan Project.
The Union Cabinet gave its nod for the Rs 9,023 crore programme in 2018.
Last month, Sivan announced at a press conference India's plan to have its own space station. The Indian space station design will be modular with initial modules weighing nearly 20 tonnes. It will have a provision for extended stay for three crew members.
(With PTI inputs)
