Two Pakistani astronauts undergoing training in China

Two Pakistani astronauts have been enrolled into the Astronaut Centre of China for taking part in mission training along with the Chinese astronauts with all the activities proceeding well, said the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

As per the arrangement, one Pakistani astronaut will be working as payload specialists for short space missions.

They are being trained under the programme for basic training as well as aerospace technical training, Zhang Jingbo, spokesperson of CMSA, said at a news conference held in Jiuquan, northwest China.

He said that the training would help Pakistani astronauts in gaining hands-on operational skills to qualify for executing the mission.

In the beginning stages of training, intensive Chinese language training will be imparted to improve their fluency in Chinese language along with the basics of the Chinese language and mission command vocabulary.

The CMSA had earlier in April disclosed the names of two Pakistani astronauts, Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud, who have been finally selected among others after the first foreign astronauts selection drive for China's manned space programme.