Story perspectives

China Picks Pakistani Pilots for First Foreign Tiangong Flight

4/24/2026

Summary

Pakistan Astronauts Selected

China selected Pakistani pilots Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud as astronaut candidates on April 22, 2026.
China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced it will train at China’s Astronaut Centre.
After training, one will serve as payload specialist, becoming the first foreign astronaut on Tiangong.
The late-2026 launch follows a February 2025 CMSA-Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) cooperation pact and will include microgravity experiments.

Summary

China Partners Pakistan

China, barred from the Space Station since 2011, is partnering with Pakistan to develop human spaceflight capability.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar attended the signing, underscoring its weight.
The agreement follows joint launches of the HS-1 hyperspectral satellite in October 2025 and a remote-sensing satellite in July 2025 from Xichang.
Ambassador Jiang Zaidong called the cooperation encouraging and forward-looking, reflecting Beijing’s alliance strategy.

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Pakistan Astronauts Selected

China selected Pakistani pilots Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud as astronaut candidates on April 22, 2026.
China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced it will train at China’s Astronaut Centre.
After training, one will serve as payload specialist, becoming the first foreign astronaut on Tiangong.
The late-2026 launch follows a February 2025 CMSA-Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) cooperation pact and will include microgravity experiments.

1 / 2