Pakistan to soon send two citizens for year-long astronaut training to China

Pakistan is gearing up for a landmark moment in its space journey as two aspiring astronauts are set to be selected this month for intensive training in China.

Under the Pakistan Astronaut Programme, the chosen candidates will undergo a full year of training at the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), marking a major step toward the country’s first human space mission.

If everything proceeds as planned, the astronauts are about to travel to China’s Tiangong Space Station in October 2026, where they will spend approximately one week in orbit. This would be the first time Pakistan sends humans into space.  

Science at the Core of the Mission  

The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) has invited scientists and researchers from across Pakistan to submit space-based experiment proposals.

From the submissions, 300 experiments have already been shortlisted for feasible inclusion. These experiments could be carried out during the astronauts’ stay aboard Tiangong. 

 Earlier this year, Suparco and CMSA signed a formal cooperation agreement to pave the way for joint training and mission planning. The selected astronauts will be trained at the Astronaut Centre of China, with at least one of them expected to serve as a payload specialist — someone trained specifically to perform scientific experiments in space.  

The mission’s research goals span a wide range of fields, including aerospace engineering, biomedical science, microgravity studies, ecology, material physics, and astronomy. Suparco notes that the Tiangong Space Station is laced with advanced laboratories external adaptors that support diverse scientific investigations.  

The data gathered from the mission could contribute to medical innovation, environmental monitoring, and new technological applications — benefits that would extend beyond space and support scientific progress on Earth.  

Expanding Space Cooperation with China  

Pakistan and China have worked hard to deepen their space collaboration in recent months. Both sides have shown agreement to improve collaboration in astronaut training and develop a Pakistan Space Centre as part of the 2025–2029 bilateral action plan.

Their partnership is guided by the 2021–2030 Space Cooperation Outline, which also adds ambitious goals such as joint lunar exploration, potential participation in the International Lunar Research Station.  

The upcoming mission is depicting a technological milestone; moreover, it is also a clear manifestation of growing regional cooperation and a new chapter in its space ambitions.