China has selected two Pakistanis as candidates for its manned space programme, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported on Wednesday. Both will undergo training in China and one will participate in a flight mission as a payload specialist and become the first foreign astronaut in China’s space station, CCTV said.
The astronauts were identified as Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud, reported China Daily.
The two passed multiple rounds of selection procedures and will soon attend spaceflight training in China.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARC) said the astronauts were set to depart for China to “begin advanced astronaut training at the Astronaut Centre of China (ACC)”.
The development is a “significant step forward in Pakistan’s space exploration journey that positions the country in the community of a select group of nations actively engaged in human spaceflight programmes,” it added.
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“During mission aboard the CSS, the Pakistani astronaut will conduct several scientific experiments in microgravity,” the statement said.
It added that the experiments span “critical areas including material science, fluid physics, life/bio science, and biotechnology, with potential applications for climate resilience, food security, and industrial innovation”.
In February 2025, the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) and the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) had signed a cooperation agreement on the spaceflight of Pakistani astronaut to the Chinese space station.
Under the pact, two Pakistanis were to train in China, with one joining a mission on the Tiangong space station operated by Beijing. The mission is planned for launch later this year.
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In February this year, two astronauts were shortlisted for Pakistan’s Human Spaceflight Programme by the Astronauts Centre of China. Upon completing all required training and passing assessments, one of them will participate in a spaceflight mission as a payload specialist, becoming the first foreign astronaut to enter China’s space station.
China has been barred from participating in the International Space Station since 2011, when the US prohibited NASA from collaborating with Chinese space agencies.
