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

Published
553
"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

Fixing bond markets
Updated 01 Oct, 2026

Fixing bond markets

Pension funds, insurance companies, mutual funds, retail investors, and eventually, foreign investors must become bigger participants in the market.
Call centre rackets
01 Oct, 2026

Call centre rackets

A NUMBER of recent raids conducted by the authorities in different cities point to the growing threat fraudulent ...
Homeward bound
01 Oct, 2026

Homeward bound

FIVE months after Somali pirates captured an oil tanker carrying a 19-member multinational crew, Somali maritime...
Kashmir unresolved
Updated 30 Sep, 2026

Kashmir unresolved

The just solution lies in India addressing the issue through a trilateral dialogue involving the legitimate representatives of the Kashmiri people and Pakistan.
Water shortage
30 Sep, 2026

Water shortage

THAT the country is entering the Rabi season with an anticipated water shortage of nearly 25pc, the lowest carryover...
Young hearts
30 Sep, 2026

Young hearts

THE observance may have passed, but the message of World Heart Day should not fade with it. The occasion is a useful...