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February 8, 2026
Two Pakistani astronauts have cleared China’s secondary selection phase and will train at ACC, with one set to fly aboard the Tiangong space station in late 2026.
Read more: Pakistan to Send First Astronaut to Space in 2026
Two Pakistani astronaut candidates have been shortlisted for the country’s Human Spaceflight Programme following assessments conducted by China’s Astronauts Centre of China (ACC), according to a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The development follows a cooperation agreement signed in February 2025 between Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) and the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). Under the agreement, two Pakistani candidates will undergo training in China, with one selected to join a mission aboard China’s Tiangong space station.
ISPR said the shortlisted candidates cleared a rigorous selection process that included medical, psychological, and aptitude evaluations conducted in line with international human spaceflight standards. The candidates had initially been screened in Pakistan before advancing to the secondary selection phase in China.
Both candidates will now undergo six months of advanced astronaut training at ACC. Upon completion, one astronaut will be selected for a spaceflight mission scheduled for October or November 2026, serving as a payload specialist aboard the Tiangong station.
The programme is part of a broader bilateral initiative between Islamabad and Beijing, making Pakistan the first foreign partner in China’s human spaceflight programme. CMSA has stated that the Pakistani astronaut will conduct scientific experiments for Pakistan while performing standard crew responsibilities during the mission.
