Pak to send its 1st astronaut into space by 2022: Fawad Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD, Jul 26 (APP):Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry revealed that space program of Pakistan would be beneficial in many fields and enhance the capability of national disaster management during the alarming weather conditions.

While talking to a private news channel he said it was not less than a miracle for (Pakistan) a third world country to launch a rocket into space back in 1962, now through a reinvented space program’s agreement between Pakistan and China it would send a first Pakistani astronaut into space, he added.

He said Pakistan Air Force would be the custodian of the program and would short list 25 candidates out of 50 in the first part of the program, during the second phrase the 10 would be shortlisted to be trained for the final selection.

“The candidates must be trained commercial pilots or fighter pilots as getting into space demands lots of energy, the astronauts have to take pressure while being thousands kilometers away from their families and blue-planet ,” he mentioned.

“Exploring the space is quite budget-consuming but it is also worthwhile to be executed due to its long term advantages,”he declared.