Pakistan to send its 1st person into space in 2022

Islamabad, July 25 (IANS) Pakistan will send its first person to space in 2022, the country's Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry announced on Thursday.

Chaudhry took to Twitter saying the selection process to send the first Pakistani into space will begin from February 2020.

"Fifty people will be shortlisted - list will then come down to 25 and in 2022, we will send our first person to space," he said, terming it the "biggest space event of our history".

Speaking to Dawn.com, Chaudhry said that the Air Force will be the custodian of the selection process and that all around the world pilots are selected for space missions. 

The Minister said that initially 50 pilots will be selected, from which the list will be brought down to 25 and then 10. The selected 10 pilots will then be trained and eventually one pilot will be sent to space.

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 for the purpose, as done previously, the daily said.