China selects first foreign astronauts for space station mission: Two Pakistanis to train, one to fly

BEIJING, 28 April (BelTA - APP) - Two Pakistani astronauts have been selected as candidates for China’s manned space program, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced.

The two selected candidates, Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud, have passed multiple rounds of selection procedures. They are set to depart for China to begin advanced astronaut training at the Astronaut Centre of China. Upon completion of all training and evaluations, one of them will participate in a flight mission as a payload specialist, becoming the first foreign astronaut to board China’s space station, CEN reported.

According to Pakistani media on Wednesday, the Pakistani astronaut will conduct scientific experiments in microgravity. These experiments will focus on areas such as material science, fluid physics, life sciences and biotechnology, with potential applications in climate resilience, food security and industrial development.
In February 2025, the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) and the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) signed a cooperation agreement in Islamabad on the spaceflight of a Pakistani astronaut to the Chinese space station.