Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday met Pakistani astronauts Khurram Daud and Muhammad Zeeshan Ali, selected for a human space mission by China, and described their participation in space research as a landmark achievement for the country and a matter of national pride.
China selected the two Pakistani astronauts as candidates for its manned space programme. Both will travel to China for training, and one will participate in a flight mission as a payload specialist and become the first foreign astronaut in China’s space station.
Upon completing all training courses and passing relevant assessments, one of them will be selected for a mission crew as a payload specialist to participate in a spaceflight, becoming the first foreign astronaut to visit the Chinese space station. The Pakistani astronaut will conduct several scientific experiments in microgravity, which span areas including material science, fluid physics, life and bio science, and biotechnology.