China has announced that it will send a Pakistani astronaut on a short-term space mission to its Tiangong space station, according to a report by the state news agency Xinhua. This will mark a new milestone in the growing space partnership between China and Pakistan.

With this mission, Pakistan becomes one of the first countries to be invited to join a crewed mission aboard China’s space station. The selected Pakistani astronaut will train alongside Chinese taikonauts (astronauts) in preparation for a short stay in space.

Officials from both countries said the mission will showcase the deepening scientific and strategic cooperation between Beijing and Islamabad. The China Manned Space Agency and Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) are currently working together to finalize the training schedule and mission timeline.

According to officials, this collaboration represents the shared goal of peaceful space exploration and the desire to promote scientific progress among developing nations.

China’s Tiangong space station, which became fully operational in 2022, has already hosted several astronaut teams as part of its Shenzhou missions. It now serves as a major hub for international scientific research and astronaut exchange programs under China’s “community of shared future in space” initiative.

Pakistan has been working to expand its space capabilities for several years. In 2018, it launched its first satellite in partnership with China. The upcoming astronaut mission is expected to boost Pakistan’s ambitions in space research and strengthen its technological partnership with Beijing even further.

Experts believe this development could help Pakistan gain valuable experience in space operations and scientific research. It also shows China’s growing efforts to open its space program to other countries, especially in the Asia-Pacific region.

With this mission, Pakistan will join a select group of nations that have taken part in China-led crewed space programs, marking an important step in regional space cooperation and expanding human exploration beyond Earth’s orbit.