Pakistani astronaut set to join Chinese space mission

A Pakistani astronaut will soon be among the international crew members heading to China’s space station, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), marking a significant milestone in Sino-Pakistani space cooperation.

The selection process for Pakistani astronauts is currently underway, following the signing of a bilateral cooperation agreement in Febru.

A Chinese space agency official, Lin Xiqiang, said that the process to select a Pakistani astronaut will have three steps—starting in Pakistan and finishing in China. In the end, two people will be trained, and one will be chosen to fly to space as a payload specialist. This astronaut will handle both technical tasks and scientific research on board China’s space station, Tiangong, representing Pakistan.

This news comes as China prepares to launch the Shenzhou-20 mission on Thursday at 5:17 p.m. local time. Three Chinese astronauts—Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie—will stay in space for six months. During their mission, they will carry out spacewalks, experiments, and life science research involving animals like zebrafish and small creatures like planarians and bacteria called streptomyces.

The current crew from the Shenzhou-19 mission is set to return to Earth on April 29. The new Shenzhou-20 crew will return in October.

China is also training its fourth group of astronauts, which for the first time includes candidates from Hong Kong, Macau, and Pakistan. There’s a chance that astronauts from Hong Kong and Macau could travel to space as soon as 2026.

Chinese space officials said they are also in talks with other countries about joining future space missions. This shows China’s goal of working more with other nations in space projects.

On Tuesday, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistan wants to strengthen its partnership with China in areas like space technology, satellite communication, and internet services.

The prime minister made the remarks during a meeting with delegation from Chinese space technology firm Galaxy Space, led by Chairman Xu Ming.

The prime minister described China as a “very trusted friend” and “strategic partner,” adding that Pakistan places high importance on the growth of its space and telecommunication sectors.