In a landmark development for international space cooperation, the China Manned Space Agency on Wednesday announced that two Pakistani candidates have been selected as the first foreign astronauts to join China’s space mission training programme.
According to an official statement, Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud will travel to China soon to begin training as reserve astronauts. The agency said that after completing all required training and evaluation procedures, one of them will be assigned to a future space mission as a payload specialist.
The selected astronaut will become the first foreign national to serve aboard China’s Tiangong space station, marking a significant milestone in bilateral cooperation in the field of space exploration.
The agency further noted that the first selection process for foreign astronauts under China’s manned space programme was completed in early April.
Officials described the development as a step forward in expanding international participation in China’s space programme and strengthening scientific collaboration in human spaceflight.