Reuters reported that two Pakistani astronaut candidates are undergoing training at the China Astronaut Training Center in Beijing, China, to operate on China's Tiangong space station. If they board, it would be the first spaceflight for a Pakistani and also China's first foreign astronaut.

According to Reuters, the two Pakistani candidates are pilots Jeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud. They were selected from approximately 20 finalists, narrowed down from an initial pool of candidates consisting of pilots and scientists. Currently, in addition to mastering spacecraft systems, they are also taking intensive Chinese language courses to communicate in Chinese in space.

This spaceflight plan was conceived by both countries in 2019. Although Pakistan does not have its own manned spacecraft, it has launched satellites with the support of its close ally China and has incorporated China's version of the global positioning system (CPS), 'Beidou,' into its military positioning system.

Ultimately, only one person can board. China has not disclosed which of the two candidates will fly or when. Amer Gilani, who oversees manned spaceflight cooperation at Pakistan's Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), stated, 'The final selection results are expected to be decided from mid to late October.'

According to Gilani, SUPARCO received over 300 proposals from universities in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad during a year-long call for proposals, and the Chinese side selected four for this flight. All of them are biotechnology experiments that can help address food insecurity and climate change. This is a rare example of Pakistani technology being tested in an international setting, and a Pakistani-made rover is scheduled to be deployed on China's Chang'e 8 lunar probe mission, expected around 2028.

When asked if an agreement had been secured from China to send a Pakistani astronaut to the Moon under the same cooperation framework, Gilani replied, 'There is no official commitment or discussion.' He then added, 'What happens next depends on the results of our first mission.' (Edited by/Hyuga)