A Pakistani astronaut will eventually work as a payload specialist aboard the China Space Station.
The selection process for Pakistani astronauts has begun, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced Wednesday, after China and Pakistan signed a cooperation agreement at the end of February.
Preliminary, secondary, and final selection are the three steps in the selection process, which is comparable to that for Chinese astronauts. The preliminary selection is being conducted in Pakistan, while the secondary and final stages will take place in China, CMSA spokesman Lin Xiqiang said in response to a question asked by APP at a press conference held at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.
In the end, he said, two astronauts from Pakistan will be selected to train in China.
One Pakistani astronaut will take part in a cooperative spaceflight mission as a payload specialist, in accordance with the flight mission plans for the China Space Station and the advancement of international cooperation. The astronaut will be in charge of running scientific experiments on behalf of Pakistan in addition to their regular crew responsibilities.
China is now in talks with other nations about sending astronauts to the China Space Station; more information will be made public when the time is right.
