*Islamabad: *
Pakistan plans to send its first astronaut to space by 2022 with the helpof its close ally China, Minister for Science and Technology has said.
The selection process for the astronaut would start in 2020, FederalMinister for Science and Technology, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said on Sunday.
China would collaborate with Pakistan in its space mission, Mr Fawad wasquoted as saying by the News International reported.
He said that initially 50 individuals would be selected after which thelist will be shortened to 25 in 2022. And out of them only one would besent to space.
The Pakistan Air Force would play an important role in the selectionprocess of the astronaut, the report said.
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He said the collaboration of Pakistan and India in the fields of scienceand technology could prove fruitful for the region.
Mr Fawad said Pakistan was the second in Asia after the then Union ofSoviet Socialist Republics (USSR), which had sent its rocket into the spacein 1963.Advertisement
The Pakistan Space Science Education Center is playing an important rolefor the promotion of space sciences in the country, he added.
Last year, Pakistan launched two indigenously-built satellites into theorbit, using a Chinese launch vehicle.
