First Pakistani to go into space by 2022, pledges minister!

• In July, Pakistan launched two indigenously built satellites into the orbit from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in China.

Pakistan Information Minister, Fawad Chaudhry, revealed on Thursday that country's first space mission will be launched in 2022.

This will also see the first Pakistani go into space as part of the space mission that will be concluded with China's assistance, the minister said. A contract in this regard has been signed between a Chinese company and Pakistan's Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), Chaudhry added, according to Geotv report.

In July this year, Pakistan launched two indigenously built satellites into the orbit from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in China. The satellites were launched onboard a Chinese Long March (LM-2C) rocket from the Gobi desert in China. One of the satellites launched was a remote sensing satellite (PRSS1) - a dual-purpose Earth observational and optical satellite. With the PRSS1, Pakistan has become one of the few countries to have its own remote sensing satellite in the orbit. While, the second test satellite launched was a PAK-TES-1A, developed by SUPARCO to enhance satellite manufacture capabilities in the country.

According to an official speaking on the condition of anonymity, the launch of satellites would help end the country's dependency on commercial satellites for information related to weather, environment and agriculture. The official added that the two satellites launched, were transported to China as Pakistan lacks the required infrastructure to launch objects into space, according to reports in The Express Tribune.