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China will send a Pakistani astronaut to its Tiangong space station in a short-term mission expected in the coming months, officials from both countries said. It will be the first time a non-Chinese astronaut boards Tiangong, marking a new stage in cooperation between the two governments and raising questions about how China plans to open its station to international partners.
China and Pakistan signed the agreement in February. The astronaut will train with Chinese crew members before flying as a payload specialist. Officials have not announced a launch date, but the mission is expected to align with China’s Shenzhou-22 rotation in spring. The flight will lift off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert.
Pakistan and China have a long record of joint projects. China has helped build roads, power plants, and telecommunications networks in Pakistan. In space, the two sides already cooperate on satellite launches used for disaster monitoring and agriculture.
Pakistan’s space agency, SUPARCO, plans to use the Tiangong mission to test experiments in microgravity, where liquids move differently and crystals form more evenly than on Earth. The results could improve sensors and scientific equipment used in weather prediction and crop studies.
Tiangong orbits about 400 kilometers above Earth and was completed in 2022. The three-module station carries laboratories for biology, physics, and medical studies. Solar panels generate power for life support, navigation, and research equipment. The station normally has three astronauts on board, but it can support more during short visits.
Life on the station is tightly managed. Crews recycle most of their water from humidity and waste. They grow small batches of vegetables under controlled lighting to supplement packaged food. The station performs regular maneuvers to avoid space debris traveling at high speed, and mission control monitors objects that pass near its path.
Pakistan is selecting candidates for the mission. Once final picks are made, they will complete training in China. Lessons include basic Mandarin, emergency routines, and how to work in weightlessness. New astronauts also spend hours in simulators that copy the narrow interior of the Shenzhou capsule.
The rocket will reach orbit in under ten minutes. When it docks, the visiting astronaut will move into the station to set up equipment and carry out tests. Work could include crystal growth for medical research or studies that improve satellite images used for storms and flooding. Pakistan has struggled with heat waves and rising flood risks. Officials hope better satellite data will help with planning and emergency response.
China says Tiangong will operate for at least a decade. That timeline extends past the planned retirement of the International Space Station, which is expected to shut down in 2030. Beijing has invited more countries to send short-term visitors or run experiments that can fit inside the station’s labs. China and Pakistan are also partners in a proposed lunar research station that could support future moon missions.
For Pakistan, the flight will be a national first. The mission is likely to attract strong public attention, especially among students interested in science. More details on the launch schedule are expected when China finalizes its next crew rotation.
