The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Thursday that it is in the process of choosing an astronaut from Pakistan, who may participate in a short-term spaceflight at a later date.
This initiative follows the bilateral cooperation agreement signed by China and Pakistan in February. A CMSA spokesperson revealed at a press briefing that the official selection procedure for Pakistani candidates has now begun.
The selection will unfold in three phases—preliminary, secondary, and final—mirroring China’s own astronaut screening process. The initial phase is currently taking place in Pakistan, while the subsequent stages will be conducted in China, the spokesperson explained.
Efforts for the secondary selection phase are already in motion, with arrangements underway for training programs, instructional materials, specialized equipment, and daily living support for trainees.
Under the current plan, two Pakistani astronauts will be selected to undergo joint training with Chinese counterparts. Based on China’s medium-term space station mission schedule and the progress of the collaboration, one of them will eventually be chosen for a brief space mission as a payload specialist, the CMSA stated.
During the mission, the selected astronaut will engage in standard crew duties while also representing Pakistan by conducting scientific experiments onboard.
