Pakistan is preparing to send its first astronaut on a space mission from China on November 25, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal announced on Sunday. The announcement was made during the concluding ceremony of World Space Week 2026 in Narowal, organised in collaboration with the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO). The mission marks a significant step in Pakistan’s participation in human spaceflight and reflects expanding scientific cooperation between Islamabad and Beijing. According to the minister, Pakistan is also aiming to achieve a lunar landing by 2035, signalling longer-term ambitions in space exploration and scientific research. The programme is expected to provide Pakistani researchers with an opportunity to conduct experiments in space and contribute to scientific work with potential applications on Earth.
Two Pakistani pilots, Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud, have been undergoing intensive astronaut training in Beijing after being selected as candidates for China’s human spaceflight programme. One of them is expected to be selected for the upcoming mission aboard China’s Tiangong space station. Their training includes spacecraft systems, Chinese-language communication and preparation for the physical conditions associated with launch and life in orbit. The selected candidate will serve as a payload specialist, focusing on conducting scientific experiments rather than piloting the spacecraft. The mission is expected to last approximately one week, according to earlier reporting on the programme. China has not publicly identified which candidate will fly, so the final selection remains a key step before the scheduled mission.
The mission is part of a broader partnership between SUPARCO and the China Manned Space Agency, formalised through a cooperation agreement signed in February 2025. Under the programme, Pakistan’s selected astronaut will participate in scientific experiments aboard the Chinese space station. Pakistani research proposals were reviewed as part of the selection process, with four biotechnology experiments chosen for the flight, according to Reuters reporting. These experiments are intended to explore research areas connected to food security and climate change. Conducting experiments in microgravity can help researchers investigate biological processes under conditions that are difficult to reproduce on Earth. The cooperation also offers Pakistani scientists experience with international space research procedures, including experiment preparation, technical validation and operations in an orbital laboratory.
Speaking at the World Space Week ceremony, Ahsan Iqbal highlighted the growing role of space technology in agriculture, communications, climate monitoring, education and national security. Satellite systems are increasingly important for collecting environmental data, supporting connectivity and helping institutions monitor changing conditions across large geographical areas. The minister also stressed the need to encourage scientific curiosity among young people and expand opportunities for research and education. In addition to the astronaut mission, Pakistan and China are cooperating on a Pakistani-built lunar rover expected to participate in China’s Chang’e 8 mission around 2028. The rover project represents a separate area of cooperation focused on lunar exploration and autonomous navigation. Pakistan’s planned lunar landing target for 2035 remains a longer-term ambition, and achieving it would require sustained investment, technical development and continued international cooperation.
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