Pakistan Trains First Astronaut Candidates for Historic Tiangong Mission

September 29, 2026

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Summary

Pakistan is training two astronaut candidates for a possible mission to China’s Tiangong space station. Only one candidate will be selected, and the flight would become Pakistan’s first human spaceflight. It could also mark China’s first mission involving a foreign astronaut. The selected astronaut would spend about one week in orbit as a payload specialist conducting biotechnology experiments. The research focuses on food insecurity and climate-change challenges. Pakistan has already worked with China on satellite launches and the BeiDou navigation system. A Pakistani rover is also expected to join China’s planned Chang’e-8 lunar mission around 2028. The story highlights the growing importance of space diplomacy across Asia, including for Japan’s regional scientific and lunar exploration interests. Read the full article for the wider context.

A potential milestone for Pakistan and China

Two Pakistani astronaut candidates are undergoing intensive training in China for a possible mission to the Tiangong space station, a development that could reshape cooperation in Asia’s increasingly competitive space sector. Only one of the candidates will ultimately be selected to fly. If the mission proceeds, it would represent Pakistan’s first human spaceflight and China’s first launch involving a foreign astronaut.

The candidates, pilot Zeeshan Ali and pilot Khurram Dawood, have been training for several months at China’s Astronaut Research and Training Center in Beijing. Their preparation includes learning spacecraft systems, undergoing mission-related instruction and taking intensive Chinese-language lessons. Communications aboard the station would be conducted in Chinese, making language proficiency an important part of the selection process.

Scientific experiments focused on food and climate

The mission was conceived by Pakistan and China in 2019. Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, known as SUPARCO, received more than 300 proposals from universities in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad during a year-long recruitment and research effort. Chinese officials selected four experiments for possible flight.

According to Pakistani officials, the proposed studies involve biotechnology aimed at addressing food insecurity and the effects of climate change. The successful candidate would serve as a payload specialist, conducting scientific work rather than operating as a conventional spacecraft pilot. Pakistani officials describe the mission as a rare opportunity for the country’s technology to be tested in an international space environment.

The final selection is expected between mid-October and late October, although China has not publicly announced which candidate will fly or when the mission will take place. The Pakistani astronaut is expected to remain aboard Tiangong for approximately one week, considerably shorter than the standard six-month stay of Chinese astronauts.

Part of a broader regional space partnership

Pakistan does not currently operate its own rockets or crewed spacecraft. Its space relationship with China has already included satellite launches and the adoption of China’s BeiDou satellite-navigation system for military positioning. The planned crewed mission therefore reflects a broader strategic and technological partnership rather than an isolated flight.

Pakistan is also expected to contribute a locally developed rover to China’s Chang’e-8 lunar mission, currently planned for around 2028. However, Pakistani officials have stressed that there is no official agreement or ongoing formal discussion to send a Pakistani astronaut to the Moon. Any future ambitions, they say, will depend partly on the outcome of this first human-spaceflight mission.

Why the development matters to Asia

The planned flight is being closely watched across Asia, including Japan, where the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, has played a major role in human spaceflight through cooperation with the International Space Station and international research programs. Japan has also committed to future lunar exploration through the Artemis framework, while China is developing an independent space-station and lunar program.

For foreign observers, the Pakistan-China initiative illustrates how space cooperation is becoming an important instrument of diplomacy, education and national development. It may create new opportunities for scientific research and technical training, while also deepening strategic ties between participating countries. At the same time, the short mission duration and the limited number of experiments underline the early stage of Pakistan’s human-spaceflight ambitions.

For Pakistan, the selection of one astronaut would carry powerful symbolic value and could inspire investment in science, engineering and university research. For China, welcoming a Pakistani astronaut aboard Tiangong would demonstrate the station’s expanding international role. The result could offer a carefully watched example of how Asian countries are using space exploration to build partnerships on Earth.