Pakistani astronauts begin training at China space center

Two Pakistani astronauts arrived at the Astronaut Center of China in Beijing on Friday, beginning training with Chinese counterparts, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

In a brief statement, the agency said it hopes the Pakistani astronauts will soon realize their dream and carry the Pakistani people's "dream of spaceflight", along with the friendship between the two nations, into the "heavenly palace", a term that usually refers to China's Tiangong space station.

The first foreign trainees at the Chinese center, Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud, are expected to receive relevant training and then undergo evaluations. One of the two will be selected to join a crewed mission as a payload specialist, becoming the first foreign astronaut to visit China's Tiangong space station.

If the program is successful, it will also mark the first time a Pakistani national reaches Earth's orbit.

In February 2025, the Chinese agency and Pakistan's Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission signed an agreement in Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, paving the way for bilateral cooperation in selecting and training Pakistani astronauts.

Tiangong, one of the largest and most advanced structures ever deployed in Earth's orbit, is currently the only operating space station independently built and operated by a single nation. It has hosted 10 crews of Chinese astronauts.