The two candidates are Pakistani
China is preparing to bring a foreign astronaut aboard its Tiangong space station for the first time. He will be a Pakistani citizen, chosen from two pilots currently training in China.
This was reported by the Reuters website, according to which the final selection should take place between mid-end and October.
The two candidates are Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud. The chosen one will fly directly from China and spend about a week on the Tiangong. Training includes Chinese language, shuttle systems, centrifugal testing and preparation for microgravity conditions.
The Pakistani will be the first foreign astronaut to participate in a manned space mission launched from China and the first foreigner aboard the Tiangong. So far the station has been inhabited exclusively by Chinese astronauts. Chinese authorities also called the selection and training of the two Pakistanis the first initiative of its kind under China’s human spaceflight program.
The agreement between China and Pakistan was signed in February 2025. The mission is part of a broader space cooperation that also includes Pakistani satellites launched by China and a Pakistani rover destined for China’s Chang’e-8 lunar mission, expected around 2028.
