Pakistan Nears Selection of First Astronaut for China’s Tiangong Mission -

Pakistan is preparing to select its first astronaut for a mission to China’s Tiangong space station, with two Pakistani pilots undergoing intensive training in Beijing as the final decision approaches.

Pilots Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud have spent months training at the China Astronaut Research and Training Center, learning Mandarin, spacecraft systems and procedures for working in microgravity. Their training also includes centrifuge exercises to prepare for the forces experienced during launch and lessons on eating, sleeping and repairing equipment in space.

Amer Gilani, who oversees human spaceflight cooperation at Pakistan’s space agency SUPARCO, said a final decision on which pilot will fly is expected in mid-to-late October. The selected astronaut will remain in China until the mission, launch directly from there and return to Pakistan after completing a post-flight recovery period.

The two pilots were selected from about 20 finalists drawn from an initial group of Pakistani pilots and scientists. Candidates were assessed for medical fitness, psychological resilience and their ability to withstand high g-forces. Their backgrounds in high-speed aviation helped them meet the demanding requirements of crewed spaceflight.

The Pakistani astronaut will serve as a “payload specialist,” focusing on scientific experiments rather than operating the spacecraft. SUPARCO received more than 300 research proposals from universities in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, from which four biotechnology experiments were selected for the mission. The experiments are aimed at addressing challenges related to food security and climate change.

The mission represents a significant expansion of Pakistan-China space cooperation. Pakistan has previously worked with China on satellite launches, navigation systems and lunar exploration. A Pakistani-built rover is also expected to take part in China’s Chang’e 8 lunar mission around 2028.

Pakistan does not currently have its own crewed spacecraft or launch vehicle, meaning the astronaut will travel aboard a Chinese spacecraft, launch from a Chinese facility and communicate in Mandarin while in orbit. The planned stay will be about a week.

If selected, the astronaut will become the first Pakistani and the first foreign astronaut transported by China to its Tiangong space station. SUPARCO officials described the mission as a major opportunity for Pakistani scientists, while noting that there is currently no official commitment for a future Pakistani astronaut to travel to the Moon. – ERMD

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