ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national space agency on Friday invited scientists, researchers and students to contribute to the country’s first-ever human spaceflight mission by submitting proposals for innovative experiments to be conducted aboard a Chinese space station.
Earlier this year in February, the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) signed a cooperation agreement with China, paving the way for a Pakistani astronaut to travel to the Tiangong space station.
The mission is expected to take place by the end of 2026 following the completion of astronaut training.
“As Pakistan’s first astronaut prepares to undertake a historic journey to the Chinese Space Station (CSS), the national space agency calls for proposals for innovative experiments to be conducted in the extreme thermal, complete vacuum and microgravity environment of the CSS to maximize the scientific impact of this mission,” SUPARCO said in an official statement.
“This is a significant chance for Pakistan’s scientific community and emerging scientists and engineers to contribute to the nation’s space journey and make a lasting impact on the future of space exploration,” it added.
The statement said the Chinese space station orbits the Earth at an altitude of around 380 kilometers, completing one revolution every 92 minutes at a speed of approximately 7.7 kilometers per second.
The space station features state-of-the-art facilities, including specialized experiment racks for research in life sciences, biotechnology, fundamental physics, fluid dynamics, material science and astrophysics.
The Pakistani agency particularly encouraged proposals in agriculture and medical sciences, noting the potential of microgravity to generate groundbreaking insights in those fields.
“Proposed experiments should be novel, cost-effective, lightweight and feasible within a week in microgravity,” it said. “Submissions must align with CSS research priorities, be unique, and support sustainable development goals.”
SUPARCO highlighted the selected experiments could lead to high-impact scientific publications, patents or commercial applications, emphasizing the project’s potential to contribute to socio-economic development.
The deadline to submit proposals is April 30.
Pakistan invites scientists, students to pitch experiments for mission to Chinese space station
https://arab.news/nq6pa
Pakistan invites scientists, students to pitch experiments for mission to Chinese space station
- The country’s space agency has partnered with China to send first Pakistani astronaut to space
- The mission is expected take place by late 2026 following the completion of astronaut training
Police kill five militants, foil plan to block highway in Pakistan’s southwest
- The militants were killed in an intelligence-based operation in Mastung district of Balochistan
- Search, combing operations are underway to apprehend accomplices of militants who fled the scene
QUETTA: Pakistan’s counterterrorism police on Monday said they had killed five militants, who were planning to block the Quetta–Sibi highway and target security forces, in an intelligence-based operation in the southwestern Balochistan province.
The operation took place in Mastung district when militants affiliated with the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) were planning to carry out “subversive activities” against security forces and the public, according to a CTD spokesperson.
CTD received credible intelligence that armed BLA militants had taken positions near Mastung’s Dasht area to block the Quetta–Sibi highway and target security forces and civilian traffic. Acting swiftly on the information, CTD teams moved into the area. The militants opened indiscriminate fire upon sighting CTD personnel.
“During the encounter, five unknown terrorists were shot dead, while other accomplices managed to flee, taking advantage of the rugged and mountainous terrain,” the CTD spokesperson said in a statement.
Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, has long been the site of a separatist insurgency and witnessed a series of high-profile militant attacks last year. In March, the BLA hijacked a passenger train and the siege killed at least 60 people, while in May, a suicide bombing in Khuzdar killed several children on a school bus.
The separatists accuse the central government of stealing their resources to fund development in Punjab. The federal government denies the allegations and says it is working for the uplift of local communities in Balochistan, where China has been building a deep-sea port as part of its Belt and Road Initiative.
Officials found seven hand grenades, five sub-machine guns with live rounds and three motorcycles from the scene, according to the CTD statement.
“Search and combing operations are underway to apprehend the fleeing terrorists and dismantle the remaining network,” it read.
