Will send our first person to space in 2022, says Fawad Chaudhry

Published July 25, 2019
"Proud to announce that selection process for the first Pakistani to be sent to space shall begin from Feb 2020," shared Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry. — DawnNewsTV/File
"Proud to announce that selection process for the first Pakistani to be sent to space shall begin from Feb 2020," shared Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry. — DawnNewsTV/File

Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry on Thursday announced that Pakistan will send its "first person to space" in 2022.

"Proud to announce that selection process for the first Pakistani to be sent to space shall begin from Feb 2020," he shared. "Fifty people will be shortlisted — list will then come down to 25 and in 2022, we will send our first person to space."

"This will be the biggest space event of our history," added the PTI minister.

Speaking to Dawn.com, Chaudhry said that the Air Force will be the custodian of the selection process, adding that all around the world pilots are selected for space missions. He said that initially 50 pilots will be selected, from which the list will be brought down to 25 and then 10. The federal minister said that 10 pilots will be trained and eventually one pilot will be sent to space.

Read: Pakistan steps forward in astronomy and space sciences

Chaudhry said that there is an agreement between Pakistan and China and as the country does not have its own satellite launching facility, a Chinese facility will be used, as done previously.

Opinion

Editorial

Back in parliament
Updated 27 Jul, 2024

Back in parliament

It is ECP's responsibility to set right all the wrongs it committed in the Feb 8 general elections.
Brutal crime
27 Jul, 2024

Brutal crime

No effort has been made to even sensitise police to the gravity of crime involving sexual assaults, let alone train them to properly probe such cases.
Upholding rights
27 Jul, 2024

Upholding rights

Sanctity of rights bodies, such as the HRCP, should be inviolable in a civilised environment.
Judicial constraints
Updated 26 Jul, 2024

Judicial constraints

The fact that it is being prescribed by the legislature will be questioned, given the political context.
Macabre spectacle
26 Jul, 2024

Macabre spectacle

Israel knows that regardless of the party that wins the presidency, America’s ‘ironclad’ support for its genocidal endeavours will continue.