Pakistan launches first astronaut to Chinese space station Nov 25

Pakistan's first astronaut will launch from a Chinese space center on November 25, marking the country's entry into human spaceflight, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal announced on Sunday at the closing ceremony of World Space Week in Narowal. The mission is part of a bilateral human spaceflight programme between Pakistan and China, with the astronaut selected from two trained candidates: pilots Khurram Daud and Muhammad Zeeshan Ali. The selected astronaut will travel to China's Tiangong space station as a payload specialist, conducting scientific experiments rather than piloting the spacecraft. Training has been conducted in Beijing by Chinese instructors, with communication in orbit to occur in Mandarin.

Iqbal outlined broader space ambitions during the announcement, stating that Pakistan aims to achieve a lunar landing by 2035 with Chinese support. The countries are collaborating on a Pakistani lunar rover for China's Chang'e-8 mission, expected around 2028, which will contribute autonomous navigation and imaging technology to lunar exploration. Pakistan's Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) signed a cooperation agreement with the China Manned Space Agency in February 2025 to prepare the astronaut for this mission.

The government also announced plans to establish Pakistan's first Space Museum at the University of Narowal to promote scientific awareness and inspire younger generations to pursue space science careers. In his remarks, Iqbal emphasized the importance of space technology for agriculture, communications, climate monitoring, education, and national security. He highlighted historical contributions by Muslim scholars to astronomy and scientific discovery, calling for renewed efforts to restore Pakistan's leadership in knowledge and research.