China prepares to host first foreign astronaut on Tiangong

China is preparing to take a foreign astronaut aboard its Tiangong space station for the first time.

The astronaut will be a Pakistani citizen, selected from two pilots currently undergoing training in China. According to Reuters, the final selection is expected to be made between mid and late October.

The two candidates are Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud, CE Report quotes ANSA.

The selected astronaut will fly directly from China and spend approximately one week aboard Tiangong. The training includes Chinese-language lessons, spacecraft systems, centrifuge tests and preparation for microgravity conditions.

The Pakistani astronaut will be the first foreign astronaut to take part in a crewed space mission launched by China and the first foreign national to stay aboard Tiangong. So far, the station has been occupied exclusively by Chinese astronauts. Chinese authorities have also described the selection and training of the two Pakistani candidates as the first initiative of its kind under China’s human spaceflight program.

The agreement between China and Pakistan was signed in February 2025. The mission is part of broader space cooperation between the two countries, which also includes Pakistani satellites launched by China and a Pakistani rover intended for China’s Chang’e-8 lunar mission, scheduled for around 2028.

Photo: Chat GPT