China's Manned Space Flight Agency (CMSA) announced the expansion of its space program. For the first time in history, Beijing has officially selected foreign candidates to train for missions to its permanent orbital station "Tiangong". The move marks the strengthening of the strategic partnership between China and Pakistan.
The pioneers were two Pakistani citizens — Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud.
According to the plan, candidates will soon arrive at the China Taikonaut Training Center for intensive training. The choice of cosmonauts was the result of an agreement, signed
in 2025 year between Pakistan's SUPARCO Commission and China's CMSA. The selection was extremely strict: among the criteria is not only exceptional physical endurance, and high academic achievements. Both candidates are pilots and have degrees in the fields, connected
with aerospace technologies. During their training in China, they will study the complex architecture of the Tiangong Station and the operational features of the Shenzhou spacecraft.. One of them
will eventually be selected to participate in the mission, the launch of which is planned for the end 2026 year. For Pakistan, this will be the first national human presence in orbit.
Пакистанський космонавт приєднається до екіпажу не як пілот, а як спеціаліст із корисного навантаження — це суто наукова роль. The specialist will focus on conducting complex experiments in microgravity conditions. According to preliminary information, the scientific program will cover: cosmic radiation research, biological and medical experiments, as well as the study of hydrodynamics in weightlessness. The results of these studies will help in the development of medicine and materials science directly on Earth, turning flight into a functional science project, and not just a symbolic gesture.
Залучення міжнародних партнерів — це переконливий сигнал Пекіна про намір перетворити власну космічну станцію на головну світову наукову платформу. China, який свого часу був виключений з проєктів МКС через накладені санкції з боку США, тепер створює власну спільноту на орбіті, роблячи ставку на країни Глобального Півдня.
Source: https://www.reuters.com