Pakistan is preparing for its first human spaceflight mission, with Pakistan Air Force pilots Khurram Daud and Muhammad Zeeshan Ali undergoing astronaut training in China.
The two pilots are training at the China Astronaut Research and Training Centre in Beijing for a planned mission to China’s Tiangong space station. One of them is expected to be selected as a payload specialist and become the first Pakistani citizen to travel to space. The final selection is expected by mid-to-late October 2026.
Training includes Chinese-language instruction, spacecraft systems, centrifuge exercises and preparation for microgravity. The selected astronaut is expected to spend around a week in orbit and conduct scientific experiments in areas including biotechnology, life sciences, materials science and fluid physics.
Khurram Daud is a serving Pakistan Air Force pilot who was selected for the programme along with Zeeshan Ali after multiple rounds of screening and assessment. Pakistan has previously participated in satellite and space research programmes but has not yet sent a citizen on a human spaceflight mission.
If selected, the Pakistani astronaut will travel aboard a Chinese spacecraft and become the first foreign astronaut to visit China’s Tiangong space station.
