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Two Pakistani candidates have been selected as the first foreign astronauts to train for missions to China’s space station, marking a significant step in international space cooperation, according to a report by China.org.cn, the country’s national online news portal, on Thursday.
The candidates, Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud, will travel to China to begin training as reserve astronauts under the China space station programme, noted the agency.
After completing the required training and evaluations, one of the two will reportedly be selected as a payload specialist for a future mission, becoming the first foreign astronaut to enter the China Space Station.
The development follows a bilateral agreement signed between China and Pakistan in February 2025 in Islamabad, focusing on astronaut selection, training and participation in the space station programme, as per the report.
Pakistan’s astronaut selection process reportedly involved multiple stages, including preliminary screening, secondary evaluation and final selection, before the two candidates were chosen.
The move is being seen as a milestone for China’s space programme as well as a reflection of growing cooperation between the two countries in the field of space exploration.
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