Pakistan and China have reached an agreement to promote space cooperation and train first Pakistani astronaut on space flight to Chinese Space Station.

An agreement to this effect was signed in Islamabad today (Friday), witnessed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Speaking on the occasion, he said this is a wonderful gesture from Chinese Government to further deepen our cooperation in field of space cooperation and other sectors over the last many decades.

The Prime Minister said we are taking forward Pakistan Manned Mission with the cooperation of China. He emphasised to make this programme a success but also explore new avenues and opportunities for the Pakistani youth.

Briefing Pakistan's journey in space exploration, Chairman SUPARCO Mohammad Yousuf Khan said Pakistan has its three observation satellites in space, which are fully operational. He added that by the end of this year, four other observation satellites will be launched to meet the requirement of increased converge time.  Since 2011, Pakistan has launched two communication satellites in the geostationary orbit. Pakistan-MMI satellite was launched in May last year, which is a milestone development towards realizing digital Pakistan.

The Chairman SUPARCO said the human space flight initiative adds to our success and reflects our commitment in elevating our role in the domain of space science. He said Pakistan's astronaut Programme will make our mission's formal entry into the human spaceflight. Through this initiative, first Pakistani astronaut will be selected, trained and shall fly into space and reach Chinese Space Station.

The Chairman said Pakistani astronaut shall perform advance scientific experiments. He said the Manned Space Mission of Pakistan is a scientific endeavour aimed at benefitting life on earth and prepares Pakistani youth to reach stars and dream of impossible. He said this agreement will elevate our national capacity, foster scientific innovation and inspire a new generation of space scientists and engineers in Pakistan. 

Talking about the initiative, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar expressed the hope that Pakistani astronauts, after getting proper training, will be travelling to the Chinese Space Station within one year.

He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led government is paying due focus to the space exploration.