Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 06:00pm on 01 Mar 2025,Saturday Science
China will send a Pakistani astronaut to its Tiangong space station, making Pakistan the first foreign nation to participate in China’s manned space program. The agreement was signed between the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) and Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) in Islamabad, attended by Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif. Tiangong, orbiting 400 km above Earth, is seen as a rival to the ISS. China aims to expand space cooperation amid geopolitical competition. CMSA Deputy Director Lin Xiqiang confirmed China’s plans to land astronauts on the Moon before 2030. The US plans its lunar return in 2025.
