Pakistan has taken a major step forward in space exploration. China has selected two Pakistani astronauts as candidates for its manned space programme.
The selected candidates are Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud. Both will travel to China to begin advanced astronaut training. The training will take place at the Astronaut Centre of China. It will include physical conditioning, technical learning and scientific preparation.
“Upon completing all training courses and passing relevant assessments, one of them will be selected for a mission crew as a payload specialist to participate in a spaceflight, becoming the first foreign astronaut to visit the Chinese space station,” the statement said as per China Daily.
In an X post, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting also said that this is a significant step forward in Pakistan’s space exploration journey that positions the country in the community of a select group of nations actively engaged in human spaceflight programmes.
The mission is expected to launch in late 2026. During the mission, the Pakistani astronaut will carry out scientific experiments in space. These experiments will focus on areas such as material science, fluid physics, life sciences and biotechnology.
The development came two months after the Suparco successfully completed the secondary phase of astronaut candidates’ selection.
