First Pakistani astronaut will go into space in 2022: Information Minister

[Peshwa]

Its an ancient Gandharan phrase

Ok. What does the Gandharan phrase mean?
Or do I have to wait for some actual Gandharans to tell me?

 

[El Sidd]

Ok. What does the Gandharan phrase mean?
Or do I have to wait for some actual Gandharans to tell me?

I am waiting too.

 

[Peshwa]

I am waiting too.

oh well..

 

[bananarepublic]

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will send a human to space for the first time in 2022 with China's help, its information minister Fawad Chaudhry announced on Thursday, the same year as India plans to launch its manned space mission.

Pakistan's first space mission has been planned for 2022 and the federal Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan approved the plan on Thursday, ahead of his maiden visit to Beijing from November 3.

An agreement between Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) and a Chinese company has already been signed, Chaudhry said.

In his Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ambitious mission of sending an Indian astronaut to space by 2022, which would make India the fourth nation in the world to do so.

"We have resolved that by 2022, when India celebrates 75 years of Independence or maybe even before that, certainly some of our young boys and girls will unfurl the Tricolour in space," Modi said from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 72nd Independence Day.

Pakistan and China already have robust defence ties and Islamabad is one of the top buyers of Chinese military hardware.

Earlier this year, Pakistan launched two indigenously built satellites into orbit, using a Chinese launch vehicle.

The satellites were launched onboard a Chinese Long March (LM-2C) rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre located at the Gobi desert, China.


One of the satellites launched was a remote sensing satellite (PRSS1) – a dual-purpose Earth observational and optical satellite.


The second test satellite launched was a PAK-TES-1A, developed by Space and Upper Atmospheric Research Commission (Suparco) to enhance satellite manufacture capabilities in the country which would help end Pakistan's dependency on commercial satellites for information related to weather, environment and agriculture.


The satellites were transported to China as Pakistan lacks the infrastructure to launch objects, the Express Tribune quoted an official as saying.


China launched its first manned space mission in 2003, becoming the third country in the world to independently develop manned spaceflight, after Russia and the United States.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...-be-in-space-in-2022/articleshow/66366489.cms

there shouldnt be any comparisons in this regard
one is trying to send their astronauts from its own soil . the other is using a help from another country
and why is every second indian news i read about d*ck measuring contest between India and Pakistan

 

[Papa Dragon]

Didn't India send a Cosmonaut via USSR/Russia a while back ? or is the news about sending one on your own ?

Yes, Rakesh Sharma was the first Indian cosmonaut to be sent into space with the help of USSR in 1984. This time, we're planning to send em all by ourselves

 

[xenon54 out]

Yes, it was. If you look at South Korea, Taiwan or Singapore etc they are better off now then they were 18 years ago. That is how it works. As decades move forward you rise.

Erdogan has done good job by leveraging Turlish status as a fortified outpost of the western world on it's south east flank. Turkey was and remains steadfast member of the NATO western fraternity and part of the Us-European economic order. It's economy is inexorably linked with the west and most of it's economic success is because of it's exports to Europe. US has continously pushed Europe to give Turkey it's due place inside Europe. Erdogan and his party have fastidiously worked to be part od Europe to the point of even abolishing death penalty despite internal pressure to revoke that.

This below is American F-35 5th gen stealth fighter. Note Turkey is part of the western consortia behind it. The crap you see between Trump and Erdogan is just two big boys acting beyond their boot size. There are dozens of Turks here. Ask them how they feel like leaving the western order and living it up as the 'ummah'.

@xenon54

Turkey changing camps in the near future is out of question, remember last years tantrums with Germany and ask yourself why Erdogan visited Merkel just last month again.

Whom should Turkey turn to anyways? Weak muslim countries? Hostile Russia and China?
Once the populists are gone Turkish-Western relationships will be business as usual.
Turkey already started collaborations or plans to do so with Rolls Royce, Aster, Spain on LHD's and many more, the relatonship to west outweights any collaboration and trade with east by many folds.
Turkey's whole socieity, economy, military is trimmed according to west for the past half a century it needs more than one hot headded leader to change this any time soon.

 

[ziaulislam]

Waste of time and money
Focus should be economy

 

[Indus Pakistan]

Turkey changing camps in the near future is out of question, remember last years tantrums with Germany and ask yourself why Erdogan visited Merkel just last month again.

Whom should Turkey turn to anyways? Weak muslim countries? Hostile Russia and China?
Once the populists are gone Turkish-Western relationships will be business as usual.
Turkey already started collaborations or plans to do so with Rolls Royce, Aster, Spain on LHD's and many more, the relatonship to west outweights any collaboration and trade with east by many folds.
Turkey's whole socieity, economy, military is trimmed according to west for the past half a century it needs more than one hot headded leader to change this any time soon.

Thanks for making that loud and clear. In summary Erdogan is just a abberation but the fundamental mooring of Turkish society is firmly with the west for there is no other alternative. Even Erdogan despite his rhetoric knows this and has not in anyway disturbed the basic core relations with the west - NATO, EU etc etc.

What does that mean?

Your leg is being pulled.

 

[xenon54 out]

Thanks for making that loud and clear. In summary Erdogan is just a abberation but the fundamental mooring of Turkish society is firmly with the west for there is no other alternative. Even Erdogan despite his rhetoric knows this and has not in anyway disturbed the basic core relations with the west - NATO, EU etc etc.

Erdogan even considered repairing relations to Israel to grab the gas pipeline route.
People here might fantasize about ummah or a eastern block, even if it becomes reality one day Turkey probably wont be part of it.

Today it's become bit of a legend how Pakistan was doing so well in 1960s and how other developing countries like South Koreans would send teams to see how great Pakistan was doing. This is actually true because Pakistan along with South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Turkey, Iraq etc were under US umbrella and being developed by Washington to showcase how Washington helped it's friends in contrast to Soviet Union and it's satellites like North Korea, Cuba, Angola, Vietnam etc.

Unfortunately for Pakistan our relationship ruptured and we went astray from Washington which meant by 1970s Pakistan was very much on it's own. South Korea, Turkey, Taiwan kept firmly attached to USA through the decades and leveraged having a superpower to the point where today all three countries are wealthy and developed.

Now that we have another opportunity with China lesson for us not to muck it up. Heads down and just get the most out of China. Only one goal. Develop by gaining maximum advantage from China. Do not please fcukin piss on the helping hand of China by croaking on about Uighurs or Rohingya etc

Superpowers and that includes China do not appreciate being pissed on ....

I know this video wont be very popular among Pakistanis but take it as a friendly reminder and learn from other exsamples.
Wish the best for Pakistan.

 

[Indus Pakistan]

even if it becomes reality one day Turkey probably wont be part of it.

I know mate. The problem is for any block you need a fulcrum or a bindig agent that glues togther the aggregate. USA peforms that function in the western order. It's gravitational pull is so strong that it places all other 'satellites' in a orderly holding positin around it. The only country that could have performed that function in the east is Turkey with Istanbul as it's core. But that possibilty died a long time ago.

Pakistan is in a sticky position. The problem is Iranian's. Had they not had the stupid revolution we could have seen a seemless economic zone develop along the Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad axis that could have linked into the European zone via Turkey acting as a landbridge but that possibility died in 1979. Iran today is just like huge quarantine zone that divides us from our western hinterlands.

And I will watch that link you posted later.

 

[Zee-shaun]

What will the Pakistani "Space travelers" be called? Any idea?

I believe the Americans use Astronaut
Russians: Cosmonauts
Indians is Vyomnauts or something..Not sure.
Have the Pakistanis come up with a name yet?

Kh'alabaaz

 

[SabzShaheen]

Also, I wish to see a SAARC manned space program.

not with countries like afghanistan, bhutan and nepal as members of saarc.

Yep, when you say "Pakistan" the reaction is -

peacefull
highly educated
prosperous
clean
progressive
reaction is "wow that is fantastic"
people use Pakistan flag on their T-shirts as being cool.

instead of "aren't they just indians" or being associated with indians or other south asians. i want pakistan to have a name for itself and be a pearl among dirt.

 

[Indus Pakistan]

instead of "aren't they just indians" or being associated with indians or other south asians. i want pakistan to have a name for itself and be a pearl among dirt.

Will never happen until we develop our own brand. Right now all we have is a passport called Pakistan but our brand is sold as 'Desi, Apna, Asian, Muslim, Indian, etc".

 

[SabzShaheen]

Will never happen until we develop our own brand. Right now all we have is a passport called Pakistan but our brand is sold as 'Desi, Apna, Asian, Muslim, Indian, etc".

there are quite a few approaches we can take. i believe there is space for a pakistani renaissance where artists, poets, authors (and game developers since we are in this technological age) are given the opportunity and creative freedom to present a great image of our homeland. as well as this, we can take back our indus valley heritage from these gangadeshis as well as counter afghanistan's claim to being the homeland of pashtuns (i.e afghans). make them irrelevant by showing KPK to being the pashtun homeland so that afghanistan becomes forgotten and we can take over.

yeah i know the last part sounds like a wet dream lol but it's possible.

 

[Indus Pakistan]

there are quite a few approaches we can take. i believe there is space for a pakistani renaissance where artists, poets, authors (and game developers since we are in this technological age) are given the opportunity and creative freedom to present a great image of our homeland. as well as this, we can take back our indus valley heritage from these gangadeshis as well as counter afghanistan's claim to being the homeland of pashtuns (i.e afghans). make them irrelevant by showing KPK to being the pashtun homeland so that afghanistan becomes forgotten and we can take over.

yeah i know the last part sounds like a wet dream lol but it's possible.

Anything is possible but it requires concerted effort. Even on PDF which by it's very nature will atract uber-nationalists has threads opened on food or fashion which are described as India or Desi. And yes the problem is we have a passport called Pakistan but our heritage east of indus is plundered by Indians and west of Indus by Afghanistan. Result we have zero soft power. The only power we have is negative attached to Pakistan which is 'terrorism'.