China has selected two Pakistani candidates for astronaut training, with one set to become the first foreign astronaut to join a mission to China’s Tiangong space station.
China has selected two Pakistani candidates to train for a future mission to its space station, marking a first step toward opening its human spaceflight program to foreign astronauts.
The two candidates, Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud, will travel to China for training as reserve astronauts. After completing training and assessments, one of them will join a future mission as a payload specialist and become the first foreign astronaut to enter the Tiangong space station.
China’s human spaceflight authorities said the selection process ended in early April after multiple rounds of evaluation. The program follows a cooperation agreement signed by China and Pakistan in February 2025 in Islamabad.
Long-standing Cooperation Behind the Move
The astronaut program builds on decades of space cooperation between China and Pakistan. In 1990, Pakistan’s first satellite, Badr-A, was launched by a Chinese rocket. The two countries have since worked together on communication and remote sensing satellites.
Their cooperation has expanded in recent years. Pakistan joined the China-led International Lunar Research Station initiative in 2023. In 2024, a Pakistani CubeSat flew with the Chang’e-6 mission and conducted lunar imaging. Pakistan is also expected to take part in the future Chang’e-8 mission.
The upcoming astronaut training marks a new phase, shifting cooperation from satellite and lunar projects to human spaceflight.
China Signals Broader International Access
China has said its space station is open to international cooperation, including scientific experiments and astronaut training. The Tiangong space station is the first such platform China has made available to all United Nations member states.
China has selected scientists from 17 countries, including Switzerland, Poland, Germany, and Italy, to conduct experiments onboard. The inclusion of a foreign astronaut will further expand that cooperation.
One of the Pakistani candidates will fly after completing training, adding a new international dimension to China’s space station missions.
Additional reporting by CNS, HKCNA.
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