Two Pakistani candidates have been shortlisted to train for a future mission to China’s space station, marking a key step in Pakistan’s Human Spaceflight Programme, the military’s media wing said on Saturday.
According to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations, the selection was completed by the Astronauts Centre of China after a multi-stage evaluation process. The shortlisted candidates were chosen following detailed medical, psychological, and aptitude assessments conducted in China.
Also Read : Chinese mining firm sees scope for deeper Pak–China cooperation
The development follows a cooperation agreement signed in February 2025 between Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission and the China Manned Space Agency, under which two Pakistanis were to receive astronaut training in China, with one expected to join a future mission.
Training and mission timeline
ISPR said the two shortlisted candidates will now undergo six months of advanced astronaut training at the Astronauts Centre of China. Upon completion, one candidate will be selected to participate in a spaceflight mission aboard the Tiangong space station, tentatively scheduled for October or November 2026.
The statement described the shortlisting as the successful completion of the programme’s secondary selection phase, following an initial screening conducted in Pakistan.
Bilateral cooperation
ISPR noted that the initiative is being carried out under the Astronaut Cooperation Agreement signed in February 2025, describing it as a result of government-level support. The agreement was concluded during the tenure of Shehbaz Sharif, who had said at the time that Pakistan would send its first human spaceflight mission in collaboration with China.
The CMSA later confirmed that the Pakistani astronaut selected for the mission would serve as a payload specialist, conducting scientific experiments on behalf of Pakistan while also performing routine crew duties aboard the station. CMSA spokesperson Lin Xiqiang said the selection process mirrors the three-stage system used for Chinese astronauts.
China has been excluded from participation in the International Space Station since 2011 due to restrictions imposed by the United States on cooperation with Chinese space agencies. Since then, Beijing has expanded bilateral partnerships with other countries, including Pakistan, as part of its human spaceflight programme.
Today's E-Paper