The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) sent Pakistani herbal seeds into space in June 2022 in an effort to generate new plant types that can effectively adapt to evolving climates and help feed the world’s rising population through a process known as Space Metagenesis.
The seeds were safely returned to Earth six months later and presented to Pakistan in a ceremony named ‘China-Pakistan Space Science and Technology Cooperation’.
Professor Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives (PD&SI), spoke at the ceremony and underlined the significance of space technology for human growth and national security.
Professor Dr. Liu Xinmin and Professor Iqbal Choudhary proposed the concept of sending the seeds into space, which was quickly approved by the Chinese Embassy.
The seeds had been launched on the manned spacecraft Shenzhou-14 and landed with the astronauts on 4 December 2022.
Professor Iqbal Choudhary emphasized the event’s significance as the commencement of astrobotany in Pakistan, as well as the promise for future study in this discipline.
Professor Liu Xinmin discussed the two nations’ partnership in the realm of medicinal plants, underlining the enormous potential for collaboration. Professor Shahid Baig, head of the Pakistan Science Foundation, also stressed the need for such alliances, as both China and Pakistan have a long history of traditional medicine, including Traditional Chinese Medicine in China and Traditional Unani Medicine in Pakistan.
