China to Allow Foreign Astronaut on Tiangong Space Station for the First Time: Pakistani to Participate

China is preparing for the first international visit to its Tiangong space station, with an astronaut from Pakistan participating in the mission.

What is known

According to Zhang Jingbo, a spokesman for the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), two Pakistani candidates are currently undergoing training alongside Chinese taikonauts. One of them will be selected for a short-term flight as a payload specialist.

During the mission, the astronaut will perform daily crew tasks and conduct scientific experiments on behalf of Pakistan. The flight is expected to last several days. According to preliminary plans, the astronaut will travel to the station on a Shenzhou series spacecraft with two Chinese crew members and return to Earth with two of the three participants in the previous expedition.

The first stage of astronaut selection takes place in Pakistan, the second and final in China. The flight will be possible thanks to a cooperation agreement signed by China and Pakistan in February 2025.

The specific mission the Pakistani astronaut will join has not yet been named. The nearest flights: Shenzhou 22 and Shenzhou 23 are scheduled for the next six and twelve months.

Source: Space.com