Pakistani astronaut to join China’s Tiangong Space Station
In a groundbreaking move for
Pakistan’s space ambitions, a Pakistani astronaut is set to become the first
foreign national to board China’s Tiangong space station, marking a new chapter
in Sino-Pak space collaboration and China’s expanding space diplomacy.
Although the final candidate has yet
to be confirmed, officials say the astronaut will be selected from a shortlist
of five to ten candidates, which Pakistan’s national space agency, SUPARCO,
will finalize within a month. Two individuals will then be chosen by China for intensive
training lasting six to twelve months, with one ultimately selected for the
mission and the other serving as a backup.
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The astronaut will serve as a payload specialist aboard the Tiangong station, responsible for overseeing daily operational tasks and conducting scientific experiments on Pakistan’s behalf.
The mission reflects a growing
partnership between China and Pakistan in the field of space science. In 2024,
Pakistan launched a satellite aboard a Chinese lunar mission, alongside
contributions from the European Space Agency, France, and Italy.
“This mission is a significant
milestone in the internationalization of China’s space station program,” said Professor
Quentin Parker, an astrophysicist at the University of Hong Kong. “When you
bring nations together in space exploration, the sum often exceeds the parts.”
The Tiangong space station,
operational since 2021, is currently one of only two fully functioning space
stations in orbit—the other being the US-led International Space Station (ISS),
which was launched in 1998. Until now, Tiangong has exclusively hosted Chinese
astronauts.
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Amjad Ali, Deputy Director of SUPARCO, hailed the development as a “historic moment” for Pakistan’s space program, which dates back over 60 years. He emphasized that the government is actively working to revitalize its space initiatives and expand its presence in international missions.
The selected astronaut could
potentially launch into space as early as October 2026, pending successful
training and mission planning.
Source: Aaj TV