Pakistan's Giant Leap: First Foreign Astronaut To Join China’s Tiangong Space Station

A Pakistani astronaut is set to make history by becoming the first foreign national to join China’s Tiangong space station, marking a significant moment in international space collaboration. The move is part of China’s expanding space diplomacy as it competes with the United States for dominance in orbit.

The astronaut, yet to be selected, will represent a deepening bond between Beijing and Islamabad in space exploration. Just last year, Pakistan launched a satellite aboard a Chinese lunar mission, sharing the journey with payloads from the European Space Agency, France, and Italy.

Tiangong, one of only two active space stations—the other being the International Space Station—has been operational since 2021 and has exclusively hosted Chinese astronauts until now.

“This is a significant step in the internationalization of China’s space station,” said Quentin Parker, an astrophysicist at the University of Hong Kong. “When you internationalize properly, you build something greater than the sum of its parts.”

The China Manned Space Agency announced at a Wednesday press conference that the Pakistani astronaut will serve as a payload specialist, performing scientific experiments and daily operational tasks aboard Tiangong.

Amjad Ali, Deputy Director of Pakistan’s space agency SUPARCO, hailed the mission as a landmark for Pakistan’s 60-year-old space program. “It’s a proud moment for Pakistan, being the first foreign nation to have its astronaut hosted by China,” Ali told Reuters.

SUPARCO will soon shortlist five to ten candidates, which China will narrow down to two. The final duo will undergo six to twelve months of training in China, with one scheduled to launch into space as early as October next year. The other will serve as a backup.

A Strategic Alliance Beyond Earth

This space partnership mirrors the growing economic and technological ties between China and Pakistan on Earth. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor—part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative—has brought major infrastructure projects to Pakistan, including the deep-sea Gwadar Port and several high-tech collaborations.

A key space cooperation agreement, signed in February, paved the way for this groundbreaking mission. On Tuesday, a Chinese delegation from Galaxy Space met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to explore joint ventures in space technology and telecom.

Calling China “Pakistan’s most reliable friend and strategic partner,” Sharif expressed a strong desire to enhance collaboration in satellite technology, satellite internet, and broader space exploration.

Amer Gilani, who leads human spaceflight cooperation at SUPARCO, said the mission's scientific experiments—still being finalized—will offer “high scientific, industrial, and social impact.”

China’s Growing Space Ambitions

China’s rapid ascent in space technology includes advanced lunar exploration, deep-space missions, and the construction of Tiangong. On Thursday, another manned mission, Shenzhou-20, will launch from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, carrying three astronauts to Tiangong. It will be the ninth crewed mission since the station’s full assembly in 2022.

The new crew will rotate with the current Shenzhou-19 team, set to return on April 29. While onboard, they’ll conduct scientific experiments, install space debris protection systems, and work with biological specimens including zebrafish, flatworms, and bacteria.

China has signed nearly 200 space cooperation agreements with countries and organizations worldwide. Recently, it approved the sharing of lunar samples collected during its previous moon mission with seven institutions across six countries—including Pakistan.

Astrophysicist Parker stressed the importance of international partnerships in space: “The world may be growing more complex, but collaboration and outreach in space remain more vital than ever.”