{
  "id": 10352363,
  "title": "China's space diplomacy lifts Pakistani astronaut toward orbit",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/chinas-space-diplomacy-lifts-pakistani-astronaut-toward-orbit-10352363",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-28T03:37:15.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Recorder",
    "slug": "business-recorder",
    "url": "https://www.brecorder.com/news/40441555/chinas-space-diplomacy-lifts-pakistani-astronaut-toward-orbit"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Two Pakistani pilots are learning Mandarin, centrifuge drills, and weightlessness adaptation as a decision nears on who will become the first foreign astronaut on China’s Tiangong space station. This would mark a first for Pakistan, part of an extensive collaboration with Beijing that includes the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese-launched Pakistani satellites, a joint satellite-navigation system, and a Pakistani-built rover slated to fly on China’s Chang’e 8 lunar mission around 2028. The training took place at the China Astronaut Research and Training Center in Beijing and was overseen by Amer Gilani, who coordinates human spaceflight cooperation at Pakistan’s space agency, SUPARCO. However, China has not disclosed which pilot will be chosen or the timeline. A final decision is expected in mid-to-late October. The selected pilot will not return to Pakistan until launch, embarking directly from China and returning following a recovery period. The training includes intensive Chinese-language instruction, spacecraft systems comprehension, and adaptation to microgravity and liftoff g-forces. Both pilots were among 20 finalists from an initial Pakistani pool of pilots and scientists, selected for medical fitness, psychological resilience, and ability to withstand high g-forces. The astronaut will serve as a payload specialist, running Pakistani science experiments aboard the station, which has hosted over 180 experiments, leading to more than 500 research papers and 150 patents. The Pakistani-built lunar rover, to fly on China’s Chang’e 8 mission in 2028, is another aspect of this collaboration, utilizing AI-based stereo imaging for lunar surface navigation.",
  "summary": "KARACHI: Two Pakistani pilots are memorising Mandarin, spinning in centrifuge drills and learning to eat, sleep and repair equipment while weightless as a decision nears on which one will become the first foreign astronaut aboard China’s Tiangong space station. The voyage into space would be a first for the South Asian nation. It is part of broader cooperation with Beijing that straddles the Belt…",
  "key_points": [
    "Two Pakistani pilots learning Mandarin and space training in China.",
    "Decision on first foreign astronaut to Tiangong space station expected mid-to-late October.",
    "Pakistani-built lunar rover to fly on China’s Chang’e 8 mission in 2028."
  ],
  "editors_take": "China's selection of a Pakistani astronaut for its Tiangong space station cements a deepening space cooperation between the two countries, expanding China's influence in Pakistan and bolstering its own scientific research capabilities.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "China's space diplomacy lifts Pakistani astronaut toward orbit",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/chinas-space-diplomacy-lifts-pakistani-astronaut-toward-orbit",
        "published": "2026-09-28T02:09:59.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}