China's Tiangong space station is expected to welcome its first foreign visitor—a Pakistani astronaut who will likely become the first from the nation to fly in outer space, according to a heavyweight cooperation agreement.

根据一项重量级合作协议，中国天宫空间站将迎来首位外国访客——一名巴基斯坦航天员，其很可能成为该国首位进入太空的人。

The agreement, signed by the China Manned Space Agency and Pakistan's Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission at a ceremony in Islamabad on Friday, covers the bilateral efforts to select and train Pakistani astronauts and then send some of them to China's Tiangong space station, which has been in orbit for nearly four years.

2月28日，中国载人航天工程办公室与巴基斯坦太空与高层大气研究委员会在伊斯兰堡举行仪式，正式签署《关于选拔、训练巴基斯坦航天员并参与中国空间站飞行任务的合作协议》，双方将共同努力，选拔训练巴基斯坦航天员，并将其中部分航天员送往已在轨运行近四年的中国天宫空间站。

Its signing, witnessed by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, marks the first time for China to help a foreign nation select and train astronauts, and also the first time for Tiangong to expect a non-Chinese visitor, the agency said in a news release.

中国载人航天工程办公室发布新闻称，巴基斯坦总理夏巴兹·谢里夫见证了协议签署，这标志着中国首次帮助外国选拔训练航天员，天宫空间站将迎来首位外籍航天员造访。

It said the two sides will spend about one year to complete the selection process and then send the Pakistani candidates to China to receive comprehensive and systematic training. It did not mention whether the selection has begun or when it will start.

新闻指出，双方将利用一年左右的时间完成选拔工作，巴基斯坦航天员将在中国接受全方位的系统训练。但选拔工作是否已经开始或何时开始尚未公布。

After the Pakistani trainees are ready, one of them will be chosen as the first foreign crew member to fly with Chinese astronauts toward Tiangong space station and spend a short-term stay inside the colossal spacecraft, currently orbiting Earth at about 400 kilometers above the ground, the agency noted.

中国载人航天工程办公室表示，在巴基斯坦受训人员准备就绪后，将选择其中一人作为首位外籍航天员，与中国航天员一道进入天宫空间站短期驻留。目前天宫空间站在距地面约400公里的近地轨道运行。

Until now, the highest altitude any Pakistani citizen has ever achieved is about 87.4 km, which was reached by female polar adventurer and artist Namira Salim during a 55-minute suborbital journey arranged by British-American aerospace company Virgin Galactic on Oct 6, 2023.

迄今为止，巴基斯坦公民到达的最高高度约为87.4公里，这一纪录由巴基斯坦女性极地探险家和艺术家纳米拉·萨利姆创造。2023年10月6日，她在英美航空航天公司维珍银河的安排下进行了55分钟的亚轨道飞行。

It is commonly recognized that the Karman line, at an altitude of 100 km above sea level, is the start of outer space and the threshold for orbital flight.

国际上普遍认为，位于海拔100公里处的卡门线是外太空与地球大气层的分界线，也是进入轨道飞行的最低高度。

The signing of the cooperation agreement has created fresh opportunities and set a model for more developing countries to engage in international manned space collaboration. It is expected to inspire nations worldwide to join hands in exploring the mysteries of the universe and collectively forging a new chapter in advancing shared interests for the benefit of all humanity, according to the release.

据新闻表示，这次合作协议的签订，为更多发展中国家参加国际载人航天合作提供了新机遇和范例，将激励更多国家携手探索宇宙奥秘，共同在造福全人类的道路上书写新的篇章。

Since the launch of Tiangong's first component in April 2021, Chinese space officials have floated the idea of selecting and sending foreigners to the space station.

自2021年4月天宫空间站首个组件发射后，中国航天官员就提出了选拔派遣外国航天员进入空间站的想法。

Key project leaders such as Yang Liwei, the first Chinese astronaut in space and now a deputy chief planner of the country's manned spaceflights—and Lin Xiqiang, deputy head of the China Manned Space Agency—have said several times that China is open to international cooperation on its space station.

中国首位航天员、中国载人航天工程副总设计师杨利伟和中国载人航天工程办公室副主任林西强等关键项目负责人多次表示，中国对空间站国际合作持开放态度。

Chen Shanguang, another senior official in the country's manned space program, said in February 2023 that "multiple countries have told China that they hope to send their astronauts to Tiangong".

2023年2月，中国载人航天工程高级官员陈善广表示，“已有多个国家向中国表示希望派遣航天员入驻天宫”。

Pang Zhihao, an expert on space exploration technology and a renowned writer on spaceflight, said that the Pakistani trainees will need to undergo a series of stringent training and tests before qualifying themselves for actual spaceflight.

空间探测技术专家、著名航天作家庞之浩表示，巴基斯坦受训人员在具备实际飞行资格前，需经历一系列严格训练和测试。

"Of course, the first and foremost lesson they need to take is the Chinese language. The language to be spoken inside a Chinese station is naturally Chinese. Second, though they must have had good physical and psychological qualities, they still need to train very hard to make their body and mind perfectly prepared for a space mission. This is especially important if some of the Pakistani trainees were not selected from among pilots. They must learn how to eat, drink, sleep and deal with personal hygiene in microgravity, which poses a huge challenge to anyone flying into space," Pang said.

庞之浩说：“当然，他们首先需要上中文课。在中国空间站内自然要说中文。其次，尽管他们必须具备良好的身心素质，但仍需刻苦训练，全身心为太空任务做好充分准备。这对部分非飞行员出身的巴基斯坦受训人员尤为重要。他们必须学会如何在微重力环境下进食、饮水、睡觉、处理个人卫生，这对任何进入太空的人来说都是巨大挑战。”

After arriving at the space station, the selected Pakistani astronaut will likely carry out at least one scientific experiment designed by Pakistani researchers, according to the expert.

据专家介绍，入选的巴基斯坦航天员抵达空间站后，将可能开展至少一项由巴基斯坦研究人员设计的科学实验。

Another Chinese spaceflight expert who wished to remain anonymous said that the new agreement is a very good example for space cooperation between developing countries and for South-South cooperation.

另一位不愿透露姓名的中国航天专家表示，这项新协议为发展中国家进行航天合作以及南南合作提供了很好的范例。

"It will effectively boost Pakistan's social development and help it become an emerging force in the international space arena," he said.

他说：“这将有效促进巴基斯坦的社会发展，助力其成为国际航天领域的新兴力量。”

stringent

adj.严格的，苛刻的