The military government in Myanmar is plotting to produce the country’s first-ever astronaut, as part of a broader partnership on space exploration with Russia.
The Russian space agency, ROSCOSMOS, announced in a press release in February that it will assist in the selection and training process of Myanmar’s inaugural spaceman, marking yet another milestone in bilateral relations between the two internationally isolated nations.
The development followed the visit of ROSCOSMOS Director General Dmitry Bakanov to Nay Pyi Taw last month, during which he reportedly met with Myanmar Space Agency Director General Soe Myint Maung and other senior junta officials including Min Aung Hlaing.
During the visit, Bakanov and Myint Maung formalised a deal on advancing collaboration in the human spaceflight initiative, according to the release cited by Reuters.
Bakanov was quoted hailing the landmark agreement as “another significant step… in the field of co-operation between Russia and Myanmar.”
Meanwhile, Nay Pyi Taw’s statement on the meeting made no mention of astronaut training with ROSCOSMOS, saying only that the talk focused on the expansion of Myanmar-Russia co-operation in space technology and satellite‑related education programmes.
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More joint ventures await
In further elaboration of a fresh partnership with Myanmar, ROSCOSMOS said the country has also agreed to establish a ground station to support Russia’s GLONASS satellite positioning network and to host facilities designed to monitor dangerous debris and objects orbiting near Earth.
A land area for this initiative has already been allocated at the Myanmar Aerospace Engineering University in Mandalay region’s Meiktila, it said.
Moreover, during the meeting between Bakanov and Aung Hlaing, the latter conveyed Nay Pyi Taw’s interest in joining Russia’s student nanosatellite programme to enhance relevant scientific research and Earth observation initiatives in the country, according to the space agency.
Amid civil unrest
Bakanov’s visit to Nay Pyi Taw transpired under the shadow of a grim civil war that emerged from the Myanmar military’s seizure of power in the 2021 coup.
The said engagement solidifies Moscow’s position as one of the junta’s loyal allies, as both governments face layers of international sanctions amid allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Space co-operation between Nay Pyi Taw and Moscow dates back to 2022, when Aung Hlaing toured a Russian launch facility, according to a report by The Irrawaddy.
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In early 2025, Aung Hlaing and Putin witnessed the signing of a separate agreement on “peaceful space exploration.”
In November, the junta chief presided over the opening of a space museum in Yangon.
Aung Hlaing was also invited last year to attend Russia’s annual Victory Day Parade.
During the landmark visit, he reportedly met with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
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