ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is set to make history by sending its first astronaut to China’s space station (CSS), marking a significant milestone in the country’s space exploration efforts. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the development on Friday, emphasizing the deepening collaboration between Pakistan and China in the field of space technology.
Speaking at a ceremony following the signing of a cooperation agreement between Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) and the China Manned Space Agency, the prime minister hailed this initiative as a testament to the strong ties between the two nations.
Astronaut Selection and Training
Under the agreement, two Pakistani astronauts will undergo training at China’s Astronaut Center, with one being selected as a scientific payload specialist. This astronaut will receive specialized training to conduct advanced research aboard the Tiangong Space Station. The selection process is expected to conclude by 2026, with the chosen astronaut joining a future CSS mission according to the station’s operational timeline.
Once onboard, Pakistan’s astronaut will participate in cutting-edge scientific experiments, spanning a wide range of disciplines, including:
- Biological and medical sciences
- Aerospace technology
- Applied physics
- Fluid mechanics
- Space radiation studies
- Ecology and material sciences
- Microgravity research
- Astronomy
Training and Spaceflight
According to the China Manned Space Agency, the astronaut selection and training process will take approximately a year. Once fully prepared, one of the Pakistani candidates will accompany Chinese astronauts on a mission to Tiangong, which orbits Earth at around 400 kilometers above ground.
Currently, the highest altitude any Pakistani has reached is 87.4 km, achieved by Namira Salim, a female polar explorer and artist, during a suborbital spaceflight with Virgin Galactic on October 6, 2023. The upcoming mission to CSS will be Pakistan’s first venture beyond the Kármán Line (100 km), the internationally recognized boundary of outer space.
A New Era of International Space Collaboration
The signing of this agreement marks a significant step forward for international cooperation in manned spaceflight. The initiative is expected to encourage other developing nations to take part in global space exploration and foster collaboration in space science and technology.
Since the Tiangong Space Station was first launched in April 2021, Chinese officials have expressed interest in international partnerships, including joint spaceflights. Yang Liwei, China’s first astronaut and a deputy chief planner of the country’s manned space program, and Lin Xiqiang, deputy head of the China Manned Space Agency, have both reaffirmed China’s openness to working with foreign space agencies.
In February 2023, senior Chinese space official Chen Shanguang revealed that multiple countries had expressed interest in sending astronauts to Tiangong.
China’s Space Station: A Leading Global Outpost
The Tiangong Space Station is one of the most advanced space structures in Earth’s orbit. It is the only space station independently built by a single nation and consists of three primary modules: a core module and two science laboratories. The station, weighing over 100 tons, regularly hosts crew and cargo missions and is expected to remain operational for at least a decade.
To date, eight crews have lived and worked aboard Tiangong, including the current Shenzhou XIX team, which arrived in October 2024 and is scheduled to return in April or May 2025.
China’s commitment to global space cooperation was evident as early as 2017, when European Space Agency (ESA) astronauts Samantha Cristoforetti (Italy) and Matthias Maurer (Germany) participated in a sea survival exercise with their Chinese counterparts in Shandong Province. They were the first foreign astronauts to train in China.
Pakistan’s upcoming participation in the CSS mission signifies a new era of space exploration collaboration, paving the way for future international partnerships in human spaceflight.
Let me know if you’d like any refinements! 🚀
