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Pakistan Shortlists Two Astronaut Candidates for Training Toward 2026 Tiangong Mission

The move advances a 2025 PakistanChina pact that makes Pakistan the first foreign partner in China’s astronaut program.

Overview

  • ISPR said the secondary selection at China’s Astronauts Centre is complete, narrowing the field to two candidates after medical, psychological and aptitude evaluations.
  • Both candidates will undertake six months of advanced astronaut training at the Astronauts Centre of China in line with international standards.
  • After training, one candidate is planned to fly to China’s Tiangong space station in October or November 2026.
  • China’s Manned Space Agency confirmed training preparations and said the selected astronaut will conduct experiments and perform standard crew duties on the station.
  • Officials said the selection follows the same three-stage process used for Chinese astronauts and represents a key step in Pakistan’s Human Spaceflight Programme.