PM Shehbaz meets astronauts selected for human space mission, calls it historic milestone

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday met Pakistani astronauts Khurram Daud and Muhammad Zeeshan Ali, selected for a human space mission by China, and described their participation in space exploration as a landmark achievement for the country and a matter of national pride.

China selected the two Pakistani astronauts as candidates for its manned space program. Both will travel to China for training, and one will participate in a ⁠flight mission as a payload specialist and become ⁠the first foreign astronaut on China’s space station.

After completing all training courses and passing relevant assessments, one of them will be selected for a mission crew as a payload specialist to participate in a space flight, becoming the first foreign astronaut to visit the Chinese space station. The Pakistani astronaut will conduct several scientific experiments in microgravity, spanning fields including materials science, fluid physics, life and life sciences, and biotechnology.

The two met the premier today at a meeting at PM House, where he expressed “deep pleasure” to meet the young astronauts and termed their selection for space exploration as a “significant milestone” for Pakistan.

“I am confident that you are going to write a new chapter in Pakistan’s history,” the Prime Minister told the astronauts, appreciating their dedication and hard work that enabled them to reach this important stage.

The prime minister, amid highlighting the Pakistan-China cooperation in the space sector, said the mission of the astronauts through Chinese cooperation would further strengthen the long-standing ties between the two countries, adding that bilateral cooperation in space research reflected a “shared commitment to explore new frontiers and achieve greater scientific heights together”.

Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong, who was present in the meeting, welcomed the Prime Minister’s remarks and described expanded cooperation between Pakistan and China in space research as encouraging and forward-looking.

The astronauts expressed gratitude for the opportunity and termed their participation in space exploration a “unique honor and a source of pride for Pakistan”. They reaffirmed their resolve to fulfill the nation’s expectations through dedication and hard work.

Read more: Pakistan launches new remote sensing satellite from China

Astronaut Attaché Hasnain Iftikhar of Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) was also present during the meeting.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi, Foreign Minister Amna Baloch and SUPARCO Chairman Muhammad Yousaf Khan.

This is not the first time that Pakistan and China have collaborated on space projects. Last year in October, SUPARCO successfully launched the country’s first ever hyperspectral satellite (HS-1) from China.

The HS-1 satellite was designed to capture ultra-precise hyperspectral images across hundreds of narrow spectral bands, offering unprecedented resolution for analysis of land, vegetation, water and urban conditions. Through its advanced imaging capabilities, HS-1 allowed the nation to precisely map crop vitality, soil moisture and water quality while rigorously tracking deforestation, pollution and ice melting.

In July 2025, Pakistan successfully launched its latest remote sensing satellite from China’s Xichang Satellite Launch Center. The launch was carried out by SUPARCO, Pakistan’s national space agency, in collaboration with China Electronics Technology Group Corporation and MICROSAT China.