Two Pakistani Astronaut Candidates Selected for China’s Space Programme

Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Dawood to Begin Training in China
Islamabad
Pakistan has reached a historic milestone in its space ambitions, with two of its nationals — Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Dawood — officially selected as astronaut candidates under China’s space programme. The two men are expected to be called to China in the near future to begin what will be a rigorous and comprehensive astronaut training regimen.
The selection process, which spanned multiple stages involving demanding physical, psychological, and technical evaluations, concluded its first phase in early April of this year. Both candidates successfully met the stringent criteria required to advance to the next stage of preparation for potential space flight.
The development is part of a broader framework of Sino-Pakistani cooperation in the space domain. China has been actively pursuing a policy of internationalising its space station programme — known as the Chinese Space Station (CSS) or Tiangong — by inviting astronauts from partner nations to train and potentially participate in crewed missions. Pakistan’s inclusion in this initiative marks a significant step forward in the country’s engagement with human spaceflight.
Space policy analysts have described the selection as a landmark achievement for Pakistan’s space agency SUPARCO and a tangible expression of the deep strategic partnership between Islamabad and Beijing. If the training is successfully completed and a mission assignment follows, Pakistan would join a select group of nations to have sent a national to space under collaborative programmes.
For the two selected candidates, the journey ahead will involve years of intensive preparation in China, covering areas such as orbital mechanics, spacecraft systems, spacewalk training, and survival skills — before either could be considered for an actual mission assignment.