China has officially confirmed that a Pakistani astronaut will soon join a mission to the Tiangong space station, marking Pakistan’s first human spaceflight and the first time an international visitor will board China’s orbital outpost.
Speaking at a press conference at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Zhang Jingbo, spokesperson for the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), announced that “two selected Pakistani astronauts will participate in training together with Chinese astronauts. One of them will be scheduled to carry out a short-duration flight mission as a payload expert.” The announcement came just a day before the Shenzhou 21 mission lifted off, carrying three Chinese crew members to Tiangong.
China and Pakistan signed an agreement in February to formalize astronaut cooperation, expanding their long-standing partnership in aerospace and satellite development. The Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) is currently overseeing preliminary astronaut selection within the country, while the final training and evaluation will take place in China.
During the mission, the selected Pakistani astronaut will not only assist in daily station operations but will also conduct a series of scientific experiments designed by Pakistani researchers, highlighting Islamabad’s growing ambitions in space science.
CMSA did not confirm which specific flight will include the international crew member, but the structure of China’s current rotation schedule provides a likely timeline. The next mission, Shenzhou 22, is expected to launch in about six months, followed by Shenzhou 23 roughly a year from now. Given that the visit is described as short-term, analysts suggest the Pakistani astronaut could join one of these missions for a stay lasting several days, traveling to orbit aboard a Long March 2F rocket before returning with part of a departing crew.
This arrangement would allow China to test a mixed crew mission while maintaining the station’s continuous presence in orbit. It would also coincide with plans to extend individual Chinese astronaut stays to a full year, setting new endurance records for the country’s human spaceflight program.
The Tiangong station, completed in late 2022, consists of three modules and has been continuously occupied since then. Designed for a lifespan of at least a decade, it’s expected to remain operational long after the International Space Station retires.
Pakistan’s participation underscores deepening space cooperation between Beijing and Islamabad, which also includes joint work on the planned International Lunar Research Station project scheduled for the 2030s.
For China, the inclusion of international astronauts is part of a broader strategy to position Tiangong as a global research platform open to friendly nations. For Pakistan, it’s a historic milestone — one that could see the country join the very short list of nations that have sent humans to space.
If all goes according to plan, a Pakistani astronaut could soon look down on Earth from Tiangong’s panoramic observation window, representing a new chapter not just for Pakistan’s space program but for China’s expanding vision of international space cooperation.
