According to a report by Dawn, Pakistan's Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal announced that the country's first astronaut is scheduled to embark on a space mission launching from a Chinese space centre on November 25. The announcement was made during the closing ceremony of World Space Week in Narowal, held in partnership with the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco).

What happened

The upcoming mission represents a key milestone in Pakistan's space efforts, with the government also establishing a goal to accomplish a lunar landing by 2035. Minister Iqbal expressed hope that ongoing cooperation with China would allow Pakistan to reach greater heights in space exploration.

Key facts

  • The astronaut will be selected from two candidate pilots, Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud, who were picked by China in April and have been undergoing intensive training in Beijing.
  • Although China has not publicly named the final astronaut, Suparco official Amer Gilani noted that a final selection decision was expected in mid-to-late October.
  • The designated astronaut will serve as a payload specialist, meaning their main role in orbit is executing Pakistani scientific experiments rather than piloting the vessel.
  • The mission relies entirely on Chinese hardware and instruction, featuring a Chinese-built spacecraft, a Chinese launch facility, Chinese trainers, and in-orbit communication conducted in Mandarin.
  • The exact name of the Chinese space facility is not specified in the source; please check the official notice.

Why it matters

In his address, Iqbal underlined the critical role space technology plays in sectors such as agriculture, national security, education, communications, and climate monitoring. He stated that scientific research and space exploration are essential for technological growth, pointing to historical contributions by Muslim scholars to astronomy while advocating for renewed progress in research and discovery.

📰 Read the Original Report

Source: Dawn - Home · Published October 18, 2026 · Photo by SK Sherazi on Unsplash