Pakistan flag, returned from 3-month space tour, handed over to Pakistan embassy in Beijing

BEIJING: Pakistan’s national flag that was carried to the Chinese space station onboard the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft was handed to the Embassy of Pakistan at a special hatch-opening ceremony at the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST).

The national flags of Pakistan and China were sent by China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) to outer space to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Moin-ul-Haque, Secretary of CAST Zhao Xiaojin; Director-General of CMSA Hao Chun; Deputy Chief Designer of China Manned Space Program Yang Liwei and other officials attended the event.

China on Mon delivered the national flags of #Pakistan and #Namibia that traveled on a 3-month tour in space onboard #Shenzhou12 spacecraft to country representatives, and unveiled the seeds, scientific payloads, and other experimental materials of the #Shenzhou12 manned mission. pic.twitter.com/3X5K4sk8SZ

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— China Science (@ChinaScience) September 28, 2021

The flags were sent aboard the Long March-2F carrier rocket on June 17, 2021, and returned via Shenzhou-12, China’s manned spacecraft after staying in space for three months.

Shenzhou-12 space mission carried three Chinese astronauts to space for building Tiangong, a Chinese space station that is expected to be completed next year.

Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Haque congratulated CMSA, CAST and other Chinese research institutions for the successful manned space mission.

He said that the space journey of the two national flags was a demonstration of a unique friendship between Pakistan and China and a befitting way to celebrate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

Ambassador Moin expressed confidence that China and Pakistan would further build on their cooperation in space exploration in the future for mutual benefit and experience sharing.

Meanwhile, in addition to the national flags, experimental items for science education and crop seeds were also carried to space onboard the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft.