SpaceNews: China, Pakistan sign historic astronaut training agreement

In a recent article, SpaceNews describes that China and Pakistan have signed a historic agreement that could pave the way for the first international astronaut to join the Chinese space station, Tiangong.

On February 28, the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) and the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) signed the “Agreement on the Selection and Training of Pakistani Astronauts and Their Participation in China’s Space Station Missions” in Islamabad.

The signing ceremony, held at the Prime Minister’s Office, was attended by Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of CMSEO, and Mohammad Yousaf Khan, chairman of SUPARCO. This agreement marks the first time China will select and train international astronauts, with a Pakistani astronaut expected to join Chinese astronauts on missions to Tiangong in the coming years. 

The selection process will be completed within a year, followed by extensive training in China. According to CMSEO, “Pakistani astronauts will be arranged to enter the Chinese space station with Chinese astronauts to perform short-term flight missions in the next few years.”

Tiangong, a three-module space station launched between 2021 and 2022, is part of China’s long-term space ambitions. So far, seven three-person crews of Chinese astronauts have been stationed aboard Tiangong, and China plans to expand the station with new modules in the future.

By Naila Huseynova