Pakistan Attempts Space Race With India: Science Minister Claims They Will Send Astronaut To Space By 2022

Pakistan’s Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday (21 September) announced that like India, Pakistan too will send humans to space by 2022, reports Press Trust of India.

In the announcement Chaudhry claimed that a solitary astronaut will be sent to space with the help of the Chinese space agency. He added that a total of 50 Pakistani Air Force (PAF) pilots will be shortlisted for the mission, out of which one will be eventually selected.

Chaudhry was recently in the news for falling for various online pranks by Indians and mocking ISRO’s Chandrayaan 2 mission.

This announcement is being seen as Pakistan’s attempt to try and keep up with India in the subcontinental space race. ISRO is all set to launch its first human space mission Gaganyaan in 2022. Unlike Pakistan, its efforts would be fully indigenious.