ISLAMABAD, April 29: Pakistan is set to make history as a Pakistani astronaut will join a future mission to China’s Tiangong space station in 2026, marking the first time a foreign national will board the Chinese orbital outpost. The milestone follows the signing of a landmark bilateral agreement in February between the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) and China’s Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSE).
The agreement, titled the Cooperation Agreement on the Selection, Training of Pakistani Astronauts and Participation in China’s Space Station Flight Mission, signals a new era in Sino-Pak space collaboration. Under the deal, China will select and train two Pakistani candidates, with one ultimately flying as a payload specialist on a future Chinese mission.
The astronaut, in addition to routine crew duties, will conduct scientific experiments on behalf of Pakistan, further deepening bilateral cooperation in scientific research and technological innovation.
The development comes on the heels of China’s successful launch of Shenzhou-20 on April 24, which docked with Tiangong and delivered a new three-member crew. Pakistani officials have hailed the launch with enthusiasm, seeing it as a symbolic gateway for Pakistan’s own space ambitions.
The selection process for Pakistan’s first astronaut is already underway, starting with a preliminary round in Pakistan and followed by more rigorous evaluations in China. The final candidates will undergo training at Chinese space facilities in preparation for the joint flight.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has billed Beijing as Pakistan’s “most reliable and strategic partner” in space, with the Tiangong mission seen as a flagship moment in that alliance. Over the past decade, the two countries have signed over a dozen space-related agreements, including those for satellite development, launch services, and ground station construction.
Notably, China has helped launch key Pakistani satellites such as Comsat-1R and Remote Sensing Satellite-1, while also training over 200 Pakistani space professionals and establishing joint R&D centers.
The upcoming mission marks the first time China’s space program will extend astronaut training to a foreign country — and Pakistan will be its inaugural partner.
