Afghanistan, Oct. 19 -- Pakistan plans to send its first astronaut to China's Tiangong space station within a month, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said, as Islamabad expands its space cooperation with Beijing and pursues a long-term goal of landing on the Moon by 2035.
Iqbal announced the plan on Sunday at the closing ceremony of World Space Week in Narowal, saying cooperation with China could help advance Pakistan's space research and technological capabilities.
Pakistani pilots Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Dawood have been selected as candidates for the mission and have undergone training in Beijing. Authorities have not yet announced which candidate will be chosen to travel to space.
The selected astronaut is expected to serve as a payload...