Aasiya Ismail, a 17-year-old student at Islamabad Model School for Girls, had the chance to ask a Chinese astronaut about the ceremony marking the return of Pakistani seeds from the Chinese space station, which took place today at the COMSTECH Auditorium in Islamabad. She was given the opportunity to ask questions and express her opinions.
At the ceremony marking the return of Pakistan’s seeds from the Chinese space station, Aasiya Ismail is seen reading a message she wrote to a Chinese astronaut [Photo/Gwadar Pro].
Aasiya Ismail stated in her letter, “I have been a science student for about ten years now. For me, science is a subject that falls within the category of art.
She also posed numerous scientific queries about space life and the Pakistan-China space breeding project.
“I’m so happy to receive your letter and get to know you are interested in science”, Liu Boming, a veteran astronaut who has carried out manned mission twice and conducted China’s first spacewalk, says in a video reply in which shares his space flight experience.
In 2008, he, together with his colleagues Mr. Zhai Zhigang and Mr. Jing Haipeng, was sent to space. The shocking experience inspired him to improvise a line of poem, “overlooking the homeland, the same global village, looking across the Sun and the Moon, the same space city”.
He launched into space once more in 2021 and was among the first astronauts to be stationed in the Chinese Space Station. Numerous other firsts for China are also accomplished by the Shenzhou 12 manned space mission, including the first prolonged astronaut residence, the first manned autonomous rapid rendezvous and docking, and the first extensive orbital testing of controlled bio-protection technology in a regenerative environment.
The extravehicular activity, which gave him the opportunity to view the earth from a greater and wider perspective, stood out to him as the most unforgettable of them all.
He worked hard for 13 years, from the age of 42 to 55, to become a part of China’s first human-robotic arm combo, and it was on this space mission that he achieved his greatest desire.
Aasiya Ismail was also given his recommendation to watch the live broadcasting program Tiangong Classroom, which can address many of her inquiries.
He claimed that the Shenzhou 12 and 14 missions both carried Pakistani flags and planted seeds, “truly showcasing the profound friendship between China and Pakistan.”
In conclusion, he encouraged Aasiya Ismail to continue her scientific journey with bravery and perseverance and play her role in Pakistan-China cooperation.
