China has announced plans to include a Pakistani astronaut in its upcoming space station missions, according to state news agency Xinhua on Thursday.
The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) stated during a press conference that two Pakistani astronauts will train alongside their Chinese counterparts under this project, with one of them scheduled to participate in a short-term spaceflight mission as a payload specialist.
According to CMSA spokesperson Zhang Jingbo, China and Pakistan signed a cooperation agreement in February of this year, which marked the official start of the astronaut selection process. Similar to China’s own astronaut recruitment process, the selection process will be divided into three stages: preliminary, second-round, and final.
Pakistan is now conducting the preliminary stage, and China will host the next two stages. According to Zhang, preparations for the second round are already underway, including creating training materials, assembling equipment, and setting up logistical support.
“Two Pakistani astronauts will undergo training alongside Chinese astronauts, and one of them will be selected to participate in a short-duration spaceflight mission as a payload specialist,” Zhang said.
“During the mission, the astronaut will not only participate in the crew’s routine work but also conduct scientific experiments on behalf of Pakistan.”
Chinese publication Global Times also confirmed that “China is currently selecting astronauts from Pakistan, with one expected to take part in a short-duration space mission at an appropriate time.”
Zhang emphasized that since its inception, China’s manned space program has upheld the principles of peaceful use, equality, mutual benefit, and shared development.