Pakistan’s First Astronaut Mission Takes Shape With China’s Support

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Islamabad: Pakistan is ready to send its first astronaut to China's Tiangong space station, marking a significant milestone in the two countries' burgeoning space collaboration. Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud, two Pakistani pilots, are receiving extensive training in China, which includes Mandarin instruction, spacecraft system training, centrifuge drills, and microgravity preparation.

SUPARCO, Pakistan's space agency, hopes to select one of the two pilots for the mission by mid-to-late October. The selected astronaut will spend about a week aboard Tiangong as a payload specialist, conducting Pakistani scientific experiments rather than managing the spaceship.

The mission is part of a broader China-Pakistan space cooperation initiative that includes satellite projects and plans for a Pakistani-built lunar rover to ride aboard China's Chang'e-8 mission in 2028. Pakistan does not yet have its own crewed spacecraft or launch vehicle, hence the mission will be dependent on Chinese spacecraft, training, and launch infrastructure.