Two Pakistanis to be China’s first foreign astronauts: reports
China's Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced in April 2026 the selection of two Pakistani Air Force pilots — Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud — as the f...
What Happened
- China's Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced in April 2026 the selection of two Pakistani Air Force pilots — Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud — as the first foreign astronaut candidates for its Tiangong Space Station programme.
- Both candidates will travel to China for training as reserve astronauts; after completing all required evaluations, one will join a future crewed Shenzhou mission as a payload specialist, becoming the first foreign national to enter the Chinese Space Station (CSS).
- The selection follows a bilateral agreement signed in Islamabad in February 2025 between China and Pakistan on astronaut recruitment, training, and participation in the CSS programme.
- Pakistan is the first and so far only foreign country chosen as a partner in China's astronaut programme, reflecting deepening space and defence ties under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework.
- Separately, the PRSC-EO3 earth observation satellite was launched by a Long March-6 carrier rocket for Pakistan's remote sensing programme, successfully entering its planned orbit.
Static Topic Bridges
China's Tiangong Space Station (CSS)
The Tiangong ("Heavenly Palace") Space Station is China's modular orbital platform, operated by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). It represents China's independent human spaceflight capability developed after it was excluded from the International Space Station (ISS) programme, primarily due to US objections.
- Tiangong consists of three core modules: Tianhe (core, launched April 29, 2021), Wentian (laboratory, launched July 24, 2022), and Mengtian (laboratory, launched October 31, 2022).
- The station has a total mass of approximately 100 metric tons and a length of about 48 meters in its current T-shape configuration.
- Standard crew capacity is three taikonauts for six-month rotations; up to six during crew handovers.
- China plans to expand to a six-module cross-shaped configuration, potentially supporting crews of up to six and serving as a staging platform for lunar missions.
- Two crewed Shenzhou missions — Shenzhou-23 and Shenzhou-24 — are planned for 2026.
Connection to this news: The inclusion of foreign astronauts marks a deliberate policy of internationalising CSS access as a soft-power tool, contrasting with China's exclusion from the ISS. Pakistan's selection as the inaugural foreign partner underscores the strategic intent behind the programme.
China-Pakistan Strategic Partnership and Space Diplomacy
China-Pakistan relations are characterised as an "all-weather strategic cooperative partnership." The space dimension of this partnership — encompassing satellite launches, remote sensing cooperation, and now manned spaceflight — reflects China's use of space as a vector for deepening bilateral influence and creating dependency relationships.
- China has previously launched several Pakistani satellites, including PakSat-1R (2011) and PakTES-1A (2018).
- The PRSC (Pakistan Remote Sensing Centre) operates earth observation satellites procured from Chinese entities.
- CPEC, valued at over $62 billion in investment commitments, includes digital and space connectivity components.
- China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has an explicit space component — the "Space Silk Road" — involving satellite communications, navigation (BeiDou), and earth observation services.
Connection to this news: The astronaut selection is a high-visibility extension of China-Pakistan space cooperation, reinforcing the "all-weather" partnership narrative and signalling China's intent to position CSS as an alternative international platform to the ISS for Global South nations.
India's Strategic Implications: China-Pakistan Space Axis
From India's perspective, growing China-Pakistan space cooperation has direct security implications. Earth observation satellites like PRSC-EO3 can provide imagery useful for military reconnaissance; the training of Pakistani astronauts in China deepens bilateral defence-space integration.
- India's own crewed spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan, aims to send an Indian astronaut to space; its first uncrewed test flights are underway.
- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and NASA have a partnership (NISAR satellite mission) as a counterpoint to China-Pakistan space cooperation.
- China's BeiDou navigation system — a GPS alternative — is integrated into Pakistan's military infrastructure, creating an integrated dual-use capability.
- India's space programme comes under the Department of Space; military space under the Integrated Space Cell.
Connection to this news: The China-Pakistan space axis represents a dual-use capability concern for India's security planners, particularly given the earth observation satellite programme that accompanies the manned spaceflight partnership.
Key Facts & Data
- Pakistani astronaut candidates selected: Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud (both PAF pilots)
- China-Pakistan astronaut agreement signed: February 2025, in Islamabad
- Tiangong core module (Tianhe) launched: April 29, 2021
- Station mass: ~100 metric tons; length: ~48 meters
- PRSC-EO3 launched by: Long March-6 carrier rocket
- China's CSS is the only space station in operation not part of the ISS programme
- Long March rocket family: China's primary space launch vehicle series (over 490 launches as of 2026)
- Gaganyaan (India's crewed mission): targeted for crewed flight in 2026-27