Pakistan is set to send two citizens for a year-long astronaut training program at China’s Manned Space Agency (CMSA), starting in October 2025. These astronauts will undergo extensive preparation before embarking on a week-long mission to the Chinese Space Station (CSS) in 2026.
The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) has invited proposals for scientific experiments to be conducted during the mission, with over 300 experiments already shortlisted from across Pakistan. One of the astronauts will serve as a scientific payload specialist, leading experiments in fields such as biology, medical sciences, applied physics, aerospace, and astronomy.
The mission aims to advance research in multiple scientific domains, including medical studies, environmental monitoring, and space technology. Utilising the advanced facilities aboard the CSS, Pakistani scientists will have access to cutting-edge experimental racks and external adaptors for their experiments.
This initiative is part of a broader effort to strengthen Pakistan-China collaboration in space science. Both countries recently agreed on a five-year action plan, focusing on astronaut training, establishing a Pakistan Space Centre, and preparing for lunar and deep space exploration. The program marks a significant step toward Pakistan’s participation in human spaceflight missions alongside China.
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