A new history is created by China by transferring a Pakistani astronaut to its space station, Tiangong, and this step has made Pakistan the first foreign country to send its astronaut aboard the Chinese orbital outpost. This kind of enthralling collaboration was secured when China and Pakistan signed an agreement especially to transfer astronauts for their space mission. In the presence of PM Shehbaz, the deal was signed between the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) and Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission {SUPARCO}.
A key role has been played by China in assisting Pakistan’s space ambitions by launching satellites on its behalf over the past few years. This latest step depicts a significant milestone in the deepening of relations. Tiangong has been orbiting around the planet Earth at 400 kilometer’s altitude for nearly four years, is seen as China’s reply to the International Space Station (ISS), from which Beijing was just ousted due to rising issues over the military’s interference in space programs.
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The all-time expanding space goals of China have made it as a strong competitor to the United States in the field of space exploration. The Chinese space station is laced with two advanced robotic arms which are capable of capturing objects such as satellites which has kindled international discussions over its capabilities and potential applications.
China wants to achieve ambitious goals, and it is leaving no stone unturned to reach those goals, such as a manned lunar mission before 2030. Moreover, it is busy in constructing a lunar space station and is busy in finding the best and comfortable environment planets in the search for extraterrestrial life. These efforts are strongly aligned with the broader global space race, as the United States also intending to land astronauts on the moon again by 2025. The collaboration of China with Pakistan could be beneficial in the upcoming future for more international partnerships as the China’s space initiatives are gaining the momentum.